Star Wars: Rise of the Empire
by Alexandra Thyme
Summary: Instead of slicing Windu's hands off and allowing Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious to kill the black Jedi, Anakin beheads the evil Chancellor, creating a whole new AU that will leave your mind blown. Be warned, once you read, you can never go back.
1. The Destruction of Darth Sidious

**_[Disclaimer] _**_The characters, the places, the terms, basically the entire _STAR WARS _universe belongs to George Lucas. What was it someone once said? Don't own. Don't profit. Don't sue._

The Jedi Council chamber was quiet. The cool marble flagstones; the metallic, red-cushioned chairs; and the great silent doors at the edge of the room all whispered peace to the troubled young Jedi Knight sitting on a chair, sinking slightly into the red cushion. His light-brown haired head was silently bowed, his face in his hands. Anakin was terrified of his feelings. His heart was breaking from forbidden love, and the words of Master Yoda echoed in his ears.

"Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not. Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is. Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose."

Anakin knew that his deep love for and eventual marriage to Padme Naberrie Amidala had been a betrayal to his life as a Jedi. But he did not know how he could have lived without her in his life. He had loved her from the moment he set eyes on her at nine years old, when she had walked into Watto's Mechanic shop with Qui-Gon Jinn, looking like the fairest angel he had ever seen.

The words of Chancellor Palpatine, newly revealed to be the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, also rang in his ears. He grimaced as he heard them in his mind.

"You have great wisdom, Anakin. Know the power of the dark side. The power to save Padme."

There was a grimace on young Skywalker's face. He wanted to be a true Jedi. He wanted to be good, an icon of righteousness in turbulent times of war. But he also wanted Padme to live, and he wanted their baby to live. He wanted a family, whether it was sanctioned by the Jedi Council or not. He wanted to keep Padme with him always. He gritted his teeth and rubbed his face with his hands, even as he cradled his head in them.

Master Windu had ordered him to stay away while Palpatine was arrested, perhaps even killed. Anakin knew that if Palpatine died, so would the secret of keeping loved ones alive.

He bowed his head. The Sith Lord must be destroyed, and Anakin did not trust himself.

. . .

The sky was still blue as a Jedi Gunship landed on the Senate Office Building landing platform.

Four Jedi exited the Shuttle quickly and entered the Senate Office Building. Like gunfighters out of the Old West, they walked through the massive hallway, four across. Mace Windu, the Jedi Master, entered the lobby and raised his arm to send the Chancellor's aide, Dar Wac, flying against the wall, along with two republic guards. The three Jedi Masters, Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto, that had accompanied him followed quickly behind. Moments before this, they had been chatting in the gunship, right before it had departed to the Chancellor's office. Fisto leaned against the wall casually, feigning calmness as he said, "I'd feel a little bit better if Master Yoda or Kenobi had come with us."

Saesee Tiin scolded, "We are Masters among the Jedi, Fisto. We are more than capable of subduing an old man like Chancellor Palpatine." Little did the three of them suspect that Master Fisto's gut-feelings were correct.

The door hissed open, the hydrolics smooth and clean sounding. Poised, the Jedi's gathered into the room. Palpatine was in his chair, facing away from them and toward the giant window that gave a beautiful panoramic view of Coruscant.

"So, Master Jedi, you have come." He said in his silky voice.

Mace Windu did not reply, but stood firmly in the doorway, the Masters mirroring his stance.

The black chair swiveled smoothly around as the white-haired old man faced them. His wrinkled face mirrored calmness. From the outside it could not be deduced that evil swirled underneath his cloak of serenity.

"Young Skywalker has served you well, I see," he said calmly. "Why has he not come?"

"I ordered him to stay away. I know he has been under your influence," said Master Windu. He stepped carefully toward the old man, his dark skin shining under the bright lights of the conference chamber.

The old man contemplated Mace Windu for a moment before replying, "I take it General Grievous has been destroyed then. I must say, you're here sooner than expected."

Windu stepped forward again, igniting his purple blade. "In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor." The three Jedi Masters behind him also lit up their lightsabers, standing at the ready. Each one felt nervous, anxious, and even a little fearful. There was something very wrong.

The feeling in the room grew murderous. It sent chills through the air, and the smell of evil suddenly stank as though something had died.

Chancellor Palpatine's face went from benign to malevolent. He seemed very old, and very evil, all at once. His voice became feral. "Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?"

Master Windu pointed his blade at the Sith Lord. "The Senate will decide your fate."

In a burst of anger the Chancellor shouted, "I am the Senate!"

Windu brandished his lightsaber, feeling a disturbance in the force. "Not yet!" he said forcefully.

"It's treason, then," growled the Chancellor suddenly, as he lept at them. A lightsaber flew from the sleeve of his cloak, igniting with a hiss and an evil red glow, and he soared through the air, spinning, toward the Jedi Knights. Snarling, as he slashed with his lightsaber, he quickly cut down Agen Kolar, then one slash later he had cut down Saesee Tiin. Master Kit Fisto's green-bladed lightsaber parried against the frenzied old man's thrusts and blows, but even with Master Windu accompanying him, he was cleaved by the red lightsaber right in the stomach. He fell, gasping out a dying breath. Master Windu only had a moment to mourn his comrade's death, then red death slashed at the Jedi's face, which was parried and blocked again and again by the dark-skinned master. The light of the purple and red sabers clashed and flashed across the dark skin of his face.

Master Windu found himself fighting for his very life. He had not expected the energy or the ferocity of the old man, indeed he had underestimated the power and strength of the Chancellor. They fought across the lavish red carpet of the Chancellor's office chamber, and unexpectedly, Mace Windu was slammed against the wall as the evil Sith Lord used his powerful Dark Side of the Force.

Windu got up quickly, avoiding the loss of his life, and as he exchanged deadly blows with the Sith Lord formerly known as Chancellor Palpatine, he swung his lightsaber into the window behind the Chancellor's desk. It shattered and flew away. The high, howling wind that roared past the window made it more difficult to hear, and instantly the room was full of cold air. Papers from the desk fluttered out the window into the night air of Coruscant. The Sith Lord fought so fiercely that the Jedi Master was forced out of the window onto the ledge. Balancing precariously, he swiftly parried a forceful blow from the former Chancellor.

Master Windu parried another blow and then thrust his purple light blade so swiftly and forcefully against Palpatine's that the older man lost his red lightsaber to the air below them. Palpatine glanced at it as it fell into the air, disappearing quickly from view. Windu forced Palpatine against the ledge, where the old man cowered, pretending that his ferocity was gone.

Licking his lips and chest heaving, the Master Jedi said fiercely, "You are under arrest, My Lord." Palpatine suddenly looked afraid for his life, like a weak old man. Mace Windu felt something wrong, and then saw Palpatine looking past him.

Palpatine pleaded with the newly arrived Jedi Knight. "Anakin! I told you it would come to this. I was right. The Jedi are taking over!"

Mace felt worried. Anakin was disobeying his orders to stay away. The young Jedi Knight was so headstrong and unpredictable, and he had been so close to Palpatine for so long.

The Jedi Master pointed his lightsaber even more definitively at the old man's throat. "You old fool. The oppression of the Sith will never return. Your plot to regain control of the Republic is over! You have lost. "

Palpatine's wrinkled face became ugly as he grinned a horrific grin. "No! No! _You_ will die!" And from his raised hands and crooked fingers, bolts of Force Lightning shot out. Master Windu blocked the deadly lightning with his lightsaber, grunting against the Force.

With his wrinkled face in a fury, and with a voice that proclaimed innocence and victimization, Palpatine shouted, "He is a traitor, Anakin!"

Master Windu had to concentrate to keep the Force Lightning at bay. "He's the traitor. Stop him!"

Palpatine's voice was as cunning as ever, laced with a layer of subtilty. "Come to your senses, boy. The Jedi are in revolt. They will betray you, just as they betrayed me!"

Anakin looked fearfully from Master Windu to Chancellor Palpatine. He knew in his heart that if he allowed the Jedi Master to kill the Sith Lord that he would never learn how to use the Force to save Padme. But maybe that was how it should be. Maybe he should let her go the way of the Force . . .

Master Windu and Palpatine struggled together, one gripping his lightsaber to save his life, the other manipulating the Force for destruction. Palpatine called out to Anakin again. "You are not one of them, Anakin. Don't let him kill me." His voice began to take on a pathetic, pleading tone.

Anakin stood, voiceless, his heart full of pain. His mind was racing.

Palpatine felt his hesitation to aid the Jedi Master. He applied to Anakin again. "I am your pathway to power. I have the power to save the one you love! You must choose. You must stop him."

With a commanding tone, Mace Windu shouted, "Don't listen to him, Anakin!"

Suddenly Palpatine's voice sounded helpless. He shrieked, "Help me! Don't let him kill me. I can't hold on any longer."

Anakin felt it hard to resist Palpatine's pleas. Deep within him he knew the old man was lying, that he had lied to Anakin since their earliest days together. He knew that this man was the evil Sith Lord. Still, it was very hard to watch the struggle between the man he should be loyal to and the man that he had grown to be loyal to.

Master Windu pushed the Chancellor out to the ledge's edge. The old man supplicated for his life, even as he shot deathly Force lightning bolts at the Jedi Master. The Force Lightning began to rebound off of the lightsaber, shocking the Chancellor instead. His face began to twist and distort.

He began to cry out: "I can't ... I give up. Help me. I am weak ... I am too weak. Don't kill me. I give up. I'm dying. I can't hold on any longer." He looked at Anakin for assistance.

Master Windu looked at Palpatine without compassion. "You Sith disease. I am going to end this once and for all!"

Anakin cried out, "You can't kill him, Master. He must stand trial!"

Mace almost looked incredulously at him, "He has too much control of the Senate and the Courts. He is too dangerous to be kept alive."

It was too much for Anakin. He knew that he could not stay. He quickly turned his back on them, and as he started walking away the Chancellor screamed at him. "Anakin! Do not abandon me! Do I mean nothing to you? I can give you immense power! Only save me! Save me from the Jedi! They have deceived you!"

Anakin turned angrily. "No! I cannot help you! You have lied to me! I can't believe I have trusted in you and believed you and you've turned out to be the Sith Lord we have been chasing all these years!"

"But Anakin," pleaded Palpatine.

"No! You murdered three Jedi Masters!" shouted Anakin, pointing at the doorway. "You've destroyed thousands of lives! I—I just _can't_ save you from a fate you deserve."

Palpatine's face grew murderous. "So be it!" he growled, and instead shot the Force lightning at Anakin. The young Jedi Knight fell to the ground, pain coursing through his body. His prosthetic arm only amplified the lightning in his right arm, frying the flesh attached to the metal. He screamed.

This diversion allowed Mace Windu to slice off Palpatine's hands, then with shock registering on the old man's face, Anakin lept up, igniting his blue blade in his remaining hand, and beheaded the Sith Lord. With the expression of shock still on its face, Palpatine's head rolled across the ledge and fell off of the edge into the air. His body collapsed to the floor, the neck sizzling where the lightsaber had severed it from the head.

Anakin, shaking, looked at the decapitated body in shock. Master Windu placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder.

"Though you disobeyed me, Skywalker, the opportunity to kill the Chancellor would never have happened had you not been here. My trust in you has been restored. Now, come. We must gather the Jedi Council."

Anakin nodded numbly, glancing at the body of the Chancellor. He followed Windu out of the Chancellor's Office, wondering how he would save Padme now.

. . .


	2. Two Jedi Reconcile

Anakin sat in a Council chair, the smell of charred flesh and acrid metal wafting under his nose. He stripped the metal prosthetic off of his arm stump and it fell to the marble floor. His nub ached and he closed his eyes, breathing in as he focused on the Force, willing it to heal the flesh and soothe the stabbing pain.

As he did this, Master Windu was talking into the hologram projector, contacting all the Jedi Council members. ". . . Young Skywalker has been injured, and I have barely escaped dangerous harm to myself. We must all convene immediately. Please establish contact within the next hour."

Turning off the holoprojector, he turned to Anakin, who had wrapped his arm in his robes as he healed the flesh.

"I'm sorry about your prosthetic. Is it—"

"Rendered useless, I'm afraid," said Anakin dully. "The joints have been melted together."

"I see," said the Master Jedi, sounding contemplative. He sat down in a chair next to Anakin, and they both sat in silence. The metallic-marble walls were gracefully reflecting shafts of light from the lights hanging overhead, the marble flagstones in the floor doing the same. The Force radiated throughout the Jedi Temple, and it one of the rooms it could be felt most strongly in was the Council chamber. Both Skywalker and Windu basked in it, the one trying to heal his arm nub, the other trying to forsee the future.

A few more moments passed. Windu rubbed his hands together, before angling his body toward Anakin. "I know that you must be—frustrated—with the Council's decision before to not allow you to take the Trials and become a Jedi Master."

Anakin shrugged. "I have my suspicions as to why that was the case, Master."

Windu looked cautious, and then Anakin gave a dry smile.

"I may be arrogant and headstrong, Master, but I am not ignorant. I know that the reasons encompass the fact that no one on the Council thinks that I am mature enough because of my impulsive nature." He rubbed his arm beneath his robes and winced.

Mace Windu felt something stir within him. Pity? Compassion? Empathy? He looked carefully at the young Jedi Knight.

"Anakin," he began. Skywalker looked up, his blue eyes calm. "You have more than earned my trust today. I will do my best to convince the Council that you can be trusted . . . and with that, that you are ready to take the Trials."

Anakin was rendered speechless. He looked down, unable to fully comprehend what had just been said to him. The Trials? But wasn't it only a few days ago that the Council had told him they would put him on the Council without letting him become a Jedi Master? And then hadn't Master Kenobi told him that the Council was NOT going to let him take the Trials for a long, long time?

Master Windu smiled, feeling Anakin's surprise and apprehension.

"We did not want an impulsive, passionate youngster on the Council, that much is true. But, I believe that you have matured, albeit suddenly, very much. You held strong in the face of the alluring powers of the Dark Side. That means a great deal in a Jedi. Perhaps you are not quite as young and immature as we thought."

There was another moment of silence. Anakin looked up thoughtfully.

"You thought I was too close to the Chancellor— to the Sith Lord," he said, correcting himself. "But I am still impulsive and young, Master. My actions today proved that, didn't they?"

Mace thought on this, then pointedly asked, "Why did you go, Skywalker? Why did you disobey my orders today when I told you to stay here?"

Anakin felt a wave of guilt sweep over him. He wasn't sure he could reveal the true reason to Master Windu.

Master Windu continued, feeling Anakin's guilt. "Though you displayed impulsiveness and disobedience, you also displayed courage. There is something you wanted very much from the Sith Lord. I am sure that he has seduced you many times to pull you over to the Dark Side. But _you resisted_. That is what is important. No matter what spurred you on to disobey my order and go to the Chancellor's office chamber, you chose the right path regardless. And I think that says something very much about your character."

Silence again. But it was thoughtful. Grateful.

"I will leave you to your thoughts, Young Jedi," said Windu. He stood up and placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder for a moment, then walked out of the Council Chamber.

Anakin fell back against the red cushion, closing his eyes and rubbing his face with his only hand. Well, he had solved one problem. The only thing left was that he lived a double life, and he didn't know how much longer he could keep his marriage to Padme, and his fathering of the child in her womb, a secret.

_. . ._


	3. Living a Double Life

As soon as Obi-Wan Kenobi got the hologram from Mace Windu, (R4 had diligently copied it into the ship's harddrive) he stood by his starfighter anxiously. Dust swirled around them as Commander Cody walked up to him, his white and orange armor dusty already, his helmet slightly cocked to the side.

"What's happened, General?" Cody asked.

Obi-Wan turned and smiled briefly at his friend. "Ah, Cody. It seems that Master Windu and Anakin Skywalker have defeated the Sith Lord, who had a double identity as Chancellor Palpatine."

"Well, that was unexpected," said Cody curiously.

Kenobi nodded. "Indeed! I always had suspected Palpatine of having a secret agenda. And now it seems that it was turning Anakin to the Dark Side as a new apprentice! I knew I never liked that man."

"Good thing he was apprehended, then, General," said Cody comfortably. "Are you awaiting a conference via hologram then?"

"Yes," said Obi-Wan.

"Very good, Sir," said Cody, striding away to give orders to nearby Clone troopers.

One trooper, named Wooley, asked, "Commander, what are our orders?"

"Stand down, but remain alert. Our job is to keep General Kenobi protected while he has a hologram conference with the Jedi Council," said Cody, and he dispatched a few troopers to stand on the edge of the platform to keep watch.

Obi-Wan leaned against his starfighter, rubbing his short beard thoughtfully. He felt very strongly that he needed to talk with Anakin right away. For a long while, since the Clone Wars began, he had always felt a slight uneasiness around Anakin, as though he was hiding something. It worried him that his former padawan was so secretive. He had to find out what was happening, and if he could help the young Jedi Knight. He was still so passionate and impulsive and . . . well, young.

He had to leave Utapu as soon as possible, and in the meanwhile, he would see if he could try to share at least one holoprojected comm with his former padawan. Right after the Jedi Council meeting if he could.

. . .

Anakin rushed down the halls of the Jedi Temple, his robes sweeping behind him as his boots _click-clack_-ed on the marble flooring. The majestic columns gleamed respectfully as he walked past. He needed to see Padme. His emotions were ready to flood over, and he was just keeping them at bay with the Force, trying to calm himself. He just needed to see Padme and know she was all right.

He nearly ran into Shaak Ti, who moved quickly out of his way. She shook her head at him, an action which drew observing eyes to the black-tipped montrals in the air, hollow horns that rose above her head several centimenters. She felt a little flustered that her passive echolocation had not alerted her sooner to the swift moving Skywalker, and her cheeks caused the skin on her cheekbones to turn even more red than the natural rusty-red they were.

"Be careful Jedi Skywalker! Calm yourself! I can feel your anxiety through the Force and it's very disconcerting!"

Anakin stopped to bow, nearly breathless with the anxiousness in his heart. "I'm deeply sorry Master. Forgive me." He made himself slow the pace he took through the Temple, not wishing to disturb or trouble any other Jedi, or make himself suspicious.

He took a speeder with an open cockpit and a crimson red color to Padme's Apartment, deftly moving in and out of the oncoming traffic, across lanes, between buildings, and miraculously through a construction site. It seemed like it took forever for him to travel there. Time seemed to freeze when he finally stood before the door that opened into her tiny corner of Coruscant.

When the door hissed open, he barely had time to step in when Padme rushed into his arms, weeping. He held her closely, tears of his own surfacing and tracing down his cheeks quietly.

"What's wrong?" he whispered into her hair, stroking it.

"Oh Ani, I was so worried. I felt—I can't explain it—I felt like something horrible was going to happen and that you were involved—"

"Master Windu and I were attacked and yes, I was injured. But don't worry!" he said swiftly. "I can get it taken care of. I just need a little time to heal it myself and then I can get a different prosthetic—"

Padme gasped. "Ani, what happened?"

He led her further into the apartment and the door hissed shut behind him as he led her down two steps to the lowered living area. He gently helped her sit on the couch and joined her, their knees touching, their hands clasped.

"I'll tell you anything, everything," he promised, "just tell me this—how are you feeling? Are you all right? Is the baby all right?"

Wiping her eyes with her hands Padme nodded. "Yes, I'm—I'm fine. Other than worried sick, I'm fine. And the baby is fine too. Still kicking and healthy and—oh Ani! Please. Please tell me what happened," she pleaded, her brown eyes searching his face. He smiled tenderly at her, cupping her cheek in his good hand.

Hesitantly, he started his story of the traumatic events of that day. It took a few moments for Anakin to explain his discovery of Chancellor Palpatine's true identity and the events that quickly followed afterwards. Padme's eyes grew bigger and bigger as his story progressed, and she gasped when he showed her his arm without the prosthetic. She reached out and touched it gently. The skin was still a white-pink color like a new scar, still healing.

"I'm sure I can get a new, and even better prosthetic arm," he said softly, trying to make a joke out of it, smiling gently at his wife.

"It's all so . . . so unbelievable. I just . . . how on earth could Palpatine have hidden that he was a Sith Lord, after all this time?" said Padme, her eyes unfocused as she gazed down at Anakin's lap.

Anakin's face darkened. "The Force can be used to create great power. I'm sure that he could hide his feelings and dark emotions from all of us. Maybe he could even erase those feelings and powerful emotions around all of us to seem innocent. It seems the only explanation as to how he carried on for so long." He thought for a few moments, his brows furrowed. His eyes looked clouded.

"I can't believe we sacrificed so much to save him from General Grievous!" he said in disgust. "We wasted so many lives . . . for a Sith!"

Padme looked up, focusing again on her husband with his outburst. "We were all fooled, Ani," she said calmly, looking at his blue eyes, which reflected a deep agitation in the moment. He was staring down at the metallic-marbleoid flooring, glaring at it as though he was staring at Palpatine again. Padme touched his cheek and he looked at her, his tense facial muscles calming.

Anakin felt like her response wasn't enough to explain his naivety. "Well," he said, "I should have known. I felt it somehow all along. That he was luring me toward something I wanted . . ." he shuddered. "I wanted greater power, and he wanted to give it to me . . . and make me his apprentice."

Padme gasped, and Anakin's eyes met her own. He nodded glumly.

"He promised me . . . he promised that he would teach me how to keep you from dying." He felt near the verge of tears even now. Now he would never know how to save her. He wouldn't be able to keep her with him.

"He—he said that?"

"With the Dark Side of the Force he was able to correctly guess that I was worried about your death," Anakin admitted. "And he nearly had me convinced that I should learn the Dark Side so that I could save you."

Padme placed her hands on Anakin's face, forcing his eyes to meet hers.

"Ani, I love you deeply. But I would never, ever want you to sacrifice the Light to go to the Dark just to save my life. It would consume you, change you, turn you into someone else. Then I would have been lost to you anyway."

Anakin looked down, his cheeks flushing as he felt heat gather behind his eyes. That same heat rose up in his throat as he silenced a sob.

"I can't lose you, Padme. I love you too much. You're everything to me." He swallowed very hard and looked into her eyes. She was crying with him. She pulled him close.

"We will always be together, Ani. Always."

_. . ._


	4. Obi Wan Knows the Truth!

Obi-Wan Kenobi's starfighter landed on the platform outside the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The evening air was dusky and full of the usual smog, but the lights of the city glittered like jewels in the sun. The noise of the traffic would soon be dulled once inside the Temple.

"Well R4, I'll see you on our next journey," Obi-Wan said genially, patting the red dome attached to the ship. The little astrodroid beeped happily in assurance. As Kenobi ascended the Temple steps he muttered to himself, "Though I still say that flying is for droids."

His boots click-clack-ed on the marble flagstones. The white marble columns gleamed in the fading light of the sun. Obi-Wan breathed in a sigh of relief and welcome as peace flooded through him. The Force was strong in the Temple. He gave himself a little smile and went into the great building.

He entered the Jedi Council room, and found Master Windu, Master Ti and Master Yoda conversing.

"Where you were, we began to wonder," said Yoda, the tips of his ears gently shaking as he spoke in his squeaky, gravelly voice. His green skin looked paler under the bright lights of the Council chambers.

"Didn't anyone tell Anakin that I wanted him to stay after the Council a few days ago?" asked Obi-Wan. "I've been trying to reach him by hologram and haven't been able to speak with him."

"He ran off right after the Council," said Master Windu simply. "Said he had urgent Jedi business."

_Urgent "Jedi" business? Unlikely,_ thought Kenobi, shuffling from one foot to the other. He nodded. "Very well. At least he has not left Coruscant?" he asked hopefully.

"Young Skywalker resting in his chamber, may be," said Yoda calmly.

"It is very likely that he has stayed on Coruscant," reassured Windu, "as he has his arm to heal and a new prosthetic to attach to it."

"Well, I shall find him. I must speak with him immediately." As he turned to leave, Yoda stretched out his green, clawed hand.

"Rest, Young Skywalker must. In grave danger he was."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Understood, Master Yoda. I will not exhaust him. I merely wish to speak with him, that is all."

. . .

The light bell sound alerted Anakin and Padme to the visitor at the door.

"Who could that be at this hour?" asked Anakin, a little jealously.

Padme rolled her eyes at him. "Oh yes, I forgot to tell you I entertain male visitors while you're away. Can't you stop being jealous for once? I'll go see who it is." She bustled out of the bedroom to go answer the door, leaving Anakin feeling sheepish. He stood up, pulling on the robe he had taken off earlier. He still wore his dark Jedi tunic and leggings, but when it came to the charade that Anakin was merely good friends with Padme, he knew that wearing everything was key. He left the bedroom, and entered the living area, where Padme was letting Obi-Wan through the door.

"I'm pleased to see you, Master Kenobi," she was saying. "But why the visit? And so late in the evening?"

Obi-Wan stepped into the room with a laid-back smile, reassuring Padme with a wave of his hand. "There is nothing to worry about. I had a hunch I would find Anakin here visiting you."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "A hunch, Master?"

Obi-Wan smiled, noticing his former padawan had come from the bedroom in the back, and nodded. "A hunch. I actually came here to talk with you," he said, pointing unoffensively at Anakin. "Not to seem rude, Padme, but would it be all right if I took Anakin out for a talk?"

She nodded and Anakin said, "Of course I'll come, Master." He gave a pointed look at Padme that said "Don't blow our cover!" but she demurely smiled.

Obi-Wan smiled at his friend. "I'll wait for you outside. I'll see you later, Padme, thank you, and good evening." The door hissed open smoothly and he stepped out, letting the door close behind him.

"Anakin," started Padme, walking toward him. "He may know. Or else, he may suspect, but I think we can trust him."

Anakin sighed. He looked into Padme's soft brown eyes, touched her soft brown ringlets with his fingers, then caressed her cheek with his hand. "I don't want to lose you," he whispered.

She held his hand to her cheek and closed her eyes. "You won't," she said firmly, looking at him lovingly. "You will never, ever lose me. Now, go talk with Master Kenobi. There must be something we can do to figure our lives out and live happily."

Anakin's eyes lingered on Padme's face. "We will be happy someday. I promise."

Padme's smile was sad. "I'm happy now, Anakin. I love you." And she leaned on her tip-toes to give him a sweet kiss. He hugged her, and then pushed the button to the door, letting it hiss open. The smell of permaconcrete struck him, along with the odd metallic smell from the air ducts outside. He stepped out and the door slid shut behind him.

Obi-Wan was waiting for Anakin, leaning casually against the wall, arms folded, and smiled pleasantly at his former padawan when he saw him.

"Evening, Anakin. Did you have a relaxing day with Senator Amidala?"

"I was able to rest, if that's what you're asking," said Anakin dryly.

"You spend a lot of time with her. Unusual amounts of time," commented Obi-Wan, the corners of his mouth twitching under his moustache.

Anakin chose not to comment but fixed his mentor with a look that said "drop it".

"In fact, it's been so long since I've seen the Senator . . . have you noticed that she suddenly is carrying offspring? I wonder who the father could be? Did she get married while we were off fighting in the Wars?"

"I imagine so," said Anakin, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Why are you irritated with me, Anakin? Are you not in the mood to be teased?"

Anakin's pushed his lips together. "Not really, Master. And I wish you would come out and say what you're poking at, instead of dancing around the issue."

Obi-Wan grew serious, but his face was still kind. "I know that Padme is carrying your child, Anakin."

Panic nearly choked Anakin. His mind reeled. He nearly staggered, but steadied himself against the wall. He asked,"Ex—excuse me?" incredulously.

"Come come, now, Anakin. Did you really think I was ignorant of your feelings, or hers? Or did you think I was just blind?" His smile grew and he walked up to Anakin, clapping him on the shoulders. "Well, leave it to the most impetuous, headstrong, rebellious Jedi to break one of the most important rules in the book!" He laughed.

Anakin wasn't sure he quite understood what was happening. The sounds of passing traffic were quite loud and he thought that maybe he had heard Master Kenobi wrong. He blinked, looking confused.

"Don't get me wrong, you should be in very big trouble, and I shouldn't be happy for you at all, but somehow, I think that this will work out in your favor." Obi-Wan looked at Anakin's pale face. "Well, at least you get to take the Trials and become a Jedi Master, at any rate, and we can find some way to hide the fact that you've gotten married and fathered a child . . . Anakin, say something. You look sick."

Anakin _felt_ sick. And relieved. He also felt like he wasn't getting enough air. He'd anticipated more of a lecture from Obi-Wan, not this congratulatory speech.

"M—Master, I—I don't understand—"

"I won't keep you from her for much longer, my young friend," said Obi-Wan warmly. "Only know that you must be willing to become unattached to your wife and baby to be a true Jedi. It is a hard fact of Jedi life, but it will be harder for you, because now you have stronger bonds to break than the rest of us."

Anakin wanted to sit down. He felt like all the blood had drained from his head, leaving him dizzy and faint. He didn't know that feeling so relieved would make him feel physically sick. Most of his stress had just melted away, and his body didn't know how to handle it.

"I—Thank you?" he said, confused.

"Not to worry, not to worry," chuckled Obi-Wan. "You get a good night's rest. We will talk soon enough. You'll be taking the Trials very soon, so make sure you get your new prosthetic arm soon, all right?" He clapped Anakin's shoulder once again, and bid him goodnight, then walked away happily to the landing platform, his robes swaying in the gentle night breeze.

Anakin wasn't altogether entirely sure what had just happened, but as a calm breeze that smelled like transport exhaust ruffled his hair, he watched his master walk away to a blue speeder and climb in. He leaned against the door, a small smile beginning at the corners of his mouth.

_. . ._


	5. Shaak Ti's Concern

Obi-Wan rode the transport to a small diner before going to the Jedi Temple. He felt happy for Anakin, that the boy had finally found some true happiness, but he also felt sad for him, because Anakin would have to lose his family. Most younglings after being brought to the temple were cut off from family members, cutting all emotional ties. Anakin had been too old and too attached to his mother when he had been brought by Qui-Gon Jin to the Temple.

"He'll be fine. He's the Chosen One," Qui-Gon had reassured Obi-Wan many times.

"But, Master, forgive me if I seem rude, but he's too old. He has too many emotional attachments," argued Obi-Wan.

"He will be fine." That was Qui-Gon's argument, and that was usually where it ended.

Obi-Wan smiled to himself as he thought of his late Master. The transport pulled up to the dock and the doors hissed as they opened, letting a stream of aliens pass out the doors onto the street. Obi-Wan stepped out of the transport and as his boots touched down onto the permapavement he felt a familiar sense of relief, though small, pass over him. He wasn't quite sure why flying made him so nervous . . . perhaps because Anakin had always wanted to see how close he could get to danger without killing them . . .

He walked into the diner and a waitress droid approached him. "Take a seat, I'll be right wit' cha!" she said cheerily.

"Thank you," he said kindly, and walked up to the bar. He sat down and took a look around him. Suddenly a huge alien with broad features and a large belly approached the bar and bellowed,

"Obi-Wan!"

The Jedi Master laughed. "Good to see you again, Dex!"

"What can I do ya for today?"

"Just a drink."

The big alien chuckled. "Rough day?"

Master Kenobi shook his head with a smile. "Quite the contrary, old friend. Quite the contrary. I just found out a good friend is about to become a father soon, and he has many more good things about to occur in his immediate future."

"I'll get you that drink then. Massassi Murder on the rocks?"

"No thank you, Dex. Just make it a Correllian Soda, would you?"

"Comin' right up!" smiled Dex, and he bustled away to get the drink.

. . .

Shaak Ti was meditating her room in the Jedi Temple. As always her thoughts were racing as she tried to quiet them. This evening's annoyment was the fact that the Young Jedi Skywalker was going to take the Trials, and become a Master. Many Jedi Council members were still gone, spread out through the galaxy, trying to defeat the Seperatist Rebellion, which had quieted a little since the death of Chancellor Palpatine. Master Windu and Master Yoda had concluded that Skywalker would take the Trials as soon as most of the Masters could convene.

It wasn't that Shaak Ti had anything against Young Skywalker. She truly didn't. He had trained a young Togruta Jedi named Ahsoka Tano, and for some reason that had struck a very harmonious chord with Shaak Ti. It could have been because the young female Togruta was Shaak Ti's alien race sister, or perhaps because young Tano reminded Shaak Ti of a young self long ago.

She shook her head wearily, her head tails moving with the rhythm. She rubbed her face with a sigh. Ahsoka Tano was also reckless and rebellious and proud, traits that Shaak Ti was certain had come from her master Skywalker.

Shaak Ti had not hidden her opinion that Skywalker was not ready to become a Jedi Master from Master Windu or Grand Master Yoda.

"He is young, reckless, headstrong, impetuous—"

"But he is brave, strong, intuitive, and able to adapt well," said Master Windu confidently.

Shaak Ti was not able to hide her incredulous expression, or her feelings of skepticism from them.

"Disbelieve us, you do," said Yoda. "Trust us, you will not. Skywalker, young though he is, a good Jedi Master will make."

"Masters, if you feel that Skywalker is ready, I will not go against your decision," sighed Shaak Ti, her rusty skin looking pale.

"Why don't you think he will become a good Jedi Master?" asked Mace Windu curiously.

"I—I don't know, really. Perhaps it is maturity," said Shaak Ti, resigned that her opinion no longer had a say in the matter of Skywalker's promotion.

"Shaak Ti," said Windu warmly. "I know that you may not want to hear this, but Skywalker proved himself on the day he destroyed Chancellor Palpatine."

"Forgive me for saying this, but I think you welcome him more because he saved your life, Master, not because he is brave or intuitive," said Shaak Ti sharply.

"Changed, he has," said Yoda quietly. "To overcome fear and a sense of betrayal, hard to do it was for him."

Brought back to the present by a soft knocking on her door, Shaak Ti stood up. She crossed over the blue carpet, feeling its comfort beneath her humanoid feet. She pushed the button for the door to hiss open and saw Obi-Wan Kenobi standing there, a kind look on his face as always.

"Master Kenobi," she said, with a hint of surprise and curiosity. "May I ask what you are doing here?"

"You may," smiled Kenobi. "I know it is late at night, but . . ." He fumbled underneath his robe for something. He pulled out a cylindrical tube. "I was asked to deliver this to you."

Shaak Ti scrutinized the human and took the tube from his hands.

"Not all humans are arrogant and swayed by circumstancial evidence," said Obi-Wan mysteriously. His smile was wide. "But I, like Master Yoda and Master Windu believe that Young Skywalker is ready for the Trials to become a Jedi Master."

"You too," muttered Shaak Ti. She shook her head. "That's why you're here? You came to mysteriously hand me a message tube and try to sway me to accept Skywalker?"

"Well, I won't say it didn't cross my mind. But I am confident you won't need to be 'swayed'," said Obi-Wan kindly.

Shaak Ti sighed. She was quite beautiful for a Togruta. The ends of her black and white striped headtails twitched in agitation as she handled the tube between her rust-colored hands.

"What is this?" she asked wearily.

"A holofile I thought you would like to play on your 'projector," said Kenobi simply.

"Thank you, and good night, Master Kenobi," she said turning away.

"Wait," said Obi-Wan hesitantly. She turned, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes?"

It seemed like he had almost become embarrassed. "I ask you to watch it with an open mind. Try to forget the young Jedi you know, or else, try to see how he is different."

She sighed again, but nodded. "I will. For you, Master Jedi, I will." Then the door slid shut and she was alone in her room, holding a tube, feeling weary and tired . . . and alone.

_. . ._


	6. The Bond Between Master and Padawan

Anakin could not hide his nervousness, not even from Padme.

"You're shaking," she commented, as she stepped out of the walk-in closet with some of his clean Jedi robes. "Why are you so nervous?"

"A Jedi is never nervous, worried, or anxious," he said matter-of-factly, trying to convince himself.

Padme laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Then you must not be a Jedi today, Ani."

He dressed in dark Jedi robes, pulling a glove over his new prosthetic at the last, making sure the glove fit over the new metal. He gave his wife a rueful smile.

"I only worry about you, Padme. My love for you overwhelms me sometimes."

She sat him on the bed with her and gazed into his blue eyes. "I have been excused from matters of State for a month since I am close to giving birth. I don't want you to worry about me. I have C-3PO and R2 here with me, and handmaids and anything I need in a moment, all waiting on the push of a button or a holocomm." She brushed his sandy blonde hair away from his eyes and kissed his forehead. "Please, go back to your Jedi duties. I will notify you immediately if I must go to a Medic Center, all right?"

Her eyes were pleading with him to agree with her and do what he needed to as a Jedi. He finally nodded and allowed himself to smile at her. Fear rose up in him like bile, but he calmed himself with the Force, feeling its energy boost his spirits.

"I like it when you do that," whispered Padme, leaning against him.

"When I do what?" he asked.

"Calm yourself with the Force. I can feel it. It feels—it feels like home, on the lake on Naboo." She buried her face in his robes and held tightly to him. Then she let go with a smile.

"Now off with you, handsome Jedi. Your duties await."

He nodded. Cupping her heart-shaped face in his hands, he kissed her lips gently. When they broke the kiss, he too felt peace strongly through the Force, and knew that he could leave her for another day.

"I will come back for you, milady," he said with a smile.

"Good!" she called as he strode to the door. He opened it and looked back at her. She smiled and waved, her brown ringleted hair, her fair skin, and her bright smile etched into his mind as he waved and left the apartment.

. . .

"I want to see him!" the young Jedi was almost shouting.

"Ahsoka, you must be patient. He's recovering from an injury—" Obi-Wan's voice was explaining.

Anakin came around the corner of a marble pillar to see his former padawan, Ahsoka Tano, angrily talking to his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"She never had a knack for being patient, Master," said Anakin with a smile. Then he pointed at Ahsoka, "And you, Snips, why are you so upset? Anger leads to hate, you know."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "You would know all about that wouldn't you?" she retorted.

Anakin decided to ignore the comment, clearly directed at misdemeanors in his past. Instead he walked up to Obi-Wan and Ahsoka very calmly.

"Master, have the rest of the Jedi Council arrived?" he asked. Ahsoka looked anxiously from one Jedi to the other.

"We're waiting on a few, Anakin. But with the Seperatist movement, there are still many planets that are in need of being rescued from droid armies," said Obi-Wan with a tone in his voice that sounded like worry. "In fact, after you take the Trials, it will probably be time for as many of us to leave Coruscant as possible, without abandoning younglings, of course."

"That stands to reason," said Anakin understandingly, nodding in agreement.

"Well I could have stayed—" began Ahsoka hotly, but Anakin silenced her.

"Yes? Where? In captivity on Mon Calamari?"

"You know very well that I came back with General Kit Fisto—" she began again.

"Well, he's dead." Anakin's soft interruption brought silence to the empty room. Obi-Wan stood a little awkwardly, watching Anakin talk in such a way to the younger Jedi.

Her expression went dark. "I know that."

"Do you?" asked Anakin accusingly. "Really? Because you act like his sacrifice, and the sacrifice of many other Jedi's are to be batted away, burned up, wiped clean."

Obi-Wan cleared his throat, and Anakin sighed, rubbing his face. "I'm sorry Ahsoka. I am just so—tired—of war. And the clean-up we have ahead is very . . ." he searched for a word.

"Overwhelming?" supplied Ahsoka, now calmer.

"Exceedingly," agreed Anakin with a small smile.

"I'm glad you're alive, Master. I look forward to seeing you around more," said Ahsoka, her headtails twitching. Her rust-colored face twisted into a wry smile. She walked away, her boots clicking on the marble flagstones as she left the room.

Anakin turned to Obi-Wan, who gave him a smile.

"I think she's ready for the Jedi Knight Trials, don't you?" said Obi-Wan brightly.

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Don't be getting any ideas, Master."

"Well, why not? She's been through the wars, she has probably passed at least three of the trials by doing so."

Anakin looked pained. "The last thing she needs is more pride, Master. Becoming a Jedi Knight would only fuel that pride."

"She was Commander Tano, Anakin. Just like you. I think that has some merit?"

"Well, especially if she's more like me . . ." said Anakin thoughtfully, watching the doorway where Ahsoka had exited. ". . . I don't know, Master."

Obi-Wan smiled kindly. "You will both do well. Very well."

. . .

Ahsoka entered the Jedi Council chambers and found Grand Master Yoda sitting alone in his chair, meditating quietly. He opened his eyes as he felt her through the force, and a small smile snuck its way over his wrinkly green features.

"Come closer, young padawan, come closer," he growled in his squeaky gravely voice. "Much grown over the course of the wars, you have. Much has happened, since becoming Skywalker's padawan."

Ahsoka allowed herself to smile. "Thank you, Master Yoda."

"Take the Trials to become a Jedi Knight, you must," he said.

"Do you really think I'm ready?" she asked. Her montrals quivered, a sure sign of her growing excitement.

"Ready as ever, you are," Yoda assured her. "The time is coming when prepared we must be to fight a growing threat. Many Jedi Knights we will need, when that time comes."

"I agree with Master Yoda," a confident voice said, echoing slightly in the empty chamber. Ahsoka turned, surprised, to see Anakin come striding into the room to stand beside her.

"There isn't really anything else you can learn from me, Snips," he said, shrugging.

"Not true, that statement is. But the fact remains, that Jedi Knight you must become," said Yoda wisely.

"Well, even if it isn't a totally true statement, it does reflect how I feel about your ability to take on the Trials," said Anakin. Ahsoka felt her cheeks take on a red glow, hard to see against the color of her skin, but her downcast blue eyes said enough about her embarrassment to be complimented by her master.

"In time, see you both become stronger, the Jedi Council will," said Yoda. "Anxious and happy for you, I am. Happy for each other, you both should be."

. . .


	7. Anakin's Stigma

The Masters had allowed Anakin to remain on the Jedi Council, even though he had not yet attained the rank of Master yet. They spent a great deal of time conversing about the Separatists and where they could possibly find them.

"An important mission, this is," said Yoda wisely. "To find and disband the Separatists, the Jedi Council must."

"This would be a good mission on which to send Young Skywalker and his former apprentice," said Master Windu thoughtfully.

"But Master," said Shaak Ti. "It could just be a wild goose chase for all we know. Perhaps the Separatists could even be hiding on Coruscant, and not on another planet."

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat thoughtfully, listening. He raised his arm, and the eyes in the room rested on him.

"If I may say something?" he asked. Both Master Windu and Master Yoda nodded, and the rest of the Council watched him.

"When I was on Geonosis a long while ago, I was able to spy on the Separatists. I think Geonosis would be a good starting place to find clues as to where they have gone. They may have left some traces there, perhaps a holodisk or a hologram left in their 'projector. As I spied on them, I did see plans for a space station. Maybe they left something there."

"Without Dooku, maybe there's a chance that they haven't covered all their tracks," said Windu, nodding. "I see what you're saying Obi-Wan."

"It was so long ago, Master Kenobi," said Shaak Ti suddenly. "When young Skywalker was still your Padawan. How can you even be sure there's anything left?"

Obi-Wan honestly shrugged and shook his head. "I can't. I was just hoping to gather a lead from there."

"I will go," said Anakin. "Master Obi-Wan shouldn't have to risk his life looking for bits of evidence."

Obi-Wan gave his friend a questioning look. "Anakin, your life isn't something to be wasted either."

"Well I don't see who else we could spare," said Anakin, sounding a little frustrated. "I don't see why I can't go, after I've taken the Trials."

"You don't know where to look. And I'm getting old. It won't be such a great loss to the Council if I happen to die."

"Who said anything about dying? I thought this was recon!"

"Stop your arguing," said Master Windu, frowning at them. Obi-Wan looked resigned and sat back in his chair, folding his arms, while Anakin stayed at the edge of his seat, looking irritated.

Shaak Ti slightly smiled. "Remember when Qui-Gon Jinn brought Anakin to us as a boy? His faith in him was so strong. Now our faith also must be strong in him. He is the Chosen One." She nodded at Anakin, who tilted his head back in respect.

Master Eeth Koth, a Zabrakkian, snorted. "I thought Qui-Gon had kind of lost it toward the end before he was killed by a Sith," he said with his nose wrinkled.

Obi-Wan's face changed. "You will take that back, Koth, or you will regret that statement."

Master Yarael Poof's small face looked alarmed atop his long, high neck. "Please, please. Let us all calm down."

Master Koth narrowed his eyes at the Quermian. "You just keep out of it, Poof!"

Anakin stood. "STOP!" he shouted, holding his arms in the air to quiet everyone. The chatter and arguing stopped slowly, tittering away into silence. He turned to Eeth Koth, his expression a mix of irritation and curious indignation.

"I know that you don't like me, Master Koth," he said calmly. "For whatever reasons that are your own. All right. Whatever I did in the past to wrong you, I sincerely apologize. But I must ask you to keep your aversions of me out of conversations when talking about deceased Jedi Masters."

"I don't trust you, Skywalker," said Eeth Koth simply. "The fact of the matter is, you were a puppet for the Sith Lord. How do we know, even now, that you aren't a Sith in disguise, waiting for the moment to strike?"

"I agree with you," he said, negotiating. "You have no reason to trust me, I know. Especially since I was under the hand of Chancellor Palpatine for such a long time. No Jedi should have such an alliance as I did with him. But it was not the Jedi that I betrayed that night when Master Windu, and three others who are now dead, went to arrest the Chancellor!" he said loudly, looking around him. His face was a contortion of sorrow. "I wanted something very much from Palpatine that he alone could have given me. But I denied it, and I destroyed him with my own hand. If that alone cannot convince you that I am true to the Light Side of the Force, then I ask that you would allow me to prove my loyalty by this mission." He sat down, feeling a little dizzy.

"Well said, Young Skywalker," intoned Mace Windu from his seat, carefully rubbing his chin. Anakin nodded dully. He felt alone, a feeling not utterly alien to him since he had married Padme.

Master Yoda spoke. "Listened to Skywalker's heart, we have this evening. Felt his sorrows and worries, I have many times. Wrong it would be, to deprive him of this mission. Terrible we should feel if not allowed he is to continue on his destined path."

"Hear, hear!" said Master Poof heartily.

"Tomorrow we will hold the Trials for Anakin," announced Master Windu, looking around the room at the Masters gathered. "This Council has already agreed that through the course of the Clone Wars, Young Skywalker has proved himself in the Trials of Skill, Courage, and Flesh. All that remains are the Trials of Spirit and Insight."

Obi-Wan looked over at his former padawan, who was sitting up straight and had an impassive look on his face. Anakin, feeling his master's gaze, looked back at him unblinkingly, and then nodded to him respectfully.

"Anakin," said Mace Windu, looking pointedly at him. Anakin locked eyes with the dark-skinned Master. "Tomorrow at daybreak, you will begin the final two Trials, and we shall see if you are truly made to be a Jedi Master."

"He's the _Chosen One_. Don't you think that already makes him a Master?" asked Eeth Koth sarcastically, but quietly. Windu chose to ignore his slight.

"The Council is adjourned," said Mace. "It will meet again tomorrow just before daybreak."

With that dismissal, the other Masters got out of their chairs and left the Council chambers. Anakin remained behind with Obi-Wan, both sitting thoughtfully.

"Master, do you know why I irritate Master Koth so much?" he asked, knowing the answer for himself.

Obi-Wan's smile was wan. "I have no idea, my young friend."

"It's because I'm better than he is. He fears me, therefore he hates me." He laughed dryly. "Not that he'd ever actually _admit_ to hating me, because then he'd be susceptible to the Dark Side. . ." he trailed off, staring into the air.

Obi-Wan shook his head with a smile. "You and your pride, Anakin, are the only things holding you back from being a truly great Jedi."

. . .

Ahsoka Tano was wearing a helmet with the blast shield down, holding her green lightsaber and her yellow-green shoto in the Shien variation of form V. Three Marksman H training remotes circled about her in the air, ready to shoot little blaster bolts that were, essentially, harmless, but would sting on skin contact.

As if sensing when she let her guard down, they all began firing at her simultaneously, a rigourous exercise that had her slicing her lightblades through the air quickly, trying to keep the irritatingly painful bolts from hitting her rust-colored skin. She was at this exercise for a good thirty minutes, and then the remotes stopped firing their blasters and hovered away to the side of the room, where they settled down to the ground and deactivated.

The hums of Tano's blades was silenced as she turned them off, and she pushed up the blast shield on the helmet to look around. Anakin was standing in the doorway, holding a training remote in his right hand, and wearing a confident smirk on his face.

"Is something funny, _Master_?" asked Ahsoka impertinently.

"You know, I think that it is universally true that all females have a temper that flares up for no good reason," grinned Anakin, as he set the remote into a cubby on the wall and then walked toward her.

Her eyes narrowed. "What made you make _that_ assumption?"

"You are always in a hurry to get mad at me," he said conversationally, as his smile dared her to make something of his remark. "And Master Shaak Ti got a little upset with me the other day when I nearly ran into her."

"Maybe Master Ti knows something about you that the rest of us don't. And maybe you're highly _irritating_ sometimes," said Ahsoka, sounding angry, but only teasing her master.

"Master Obi-Wan would probably agree with you about the irritating part," said Anakin ruefully.

"Maybe one day I'll ask him how he put up with you," she said, taking the helmet off.

"Maybe you should," said Anakin, taking the helmet from her. He put it on his own head and pulled the blast shield down.

"What, are you going to have me fight you now?" asked Ahsoka. "You know that's completely unfair. You have a huge advantage over me."

"What advantage is that?" asked Anakin, his voice slightly muffled. "I can't see and you can, and your hearing is a thousand times better than mine, even with this old helmet off. I'd say _you_ have the advantage, Snips."

She didn't even try to take her lightsabers from her belt. She just stared at him.

"Seriously? You're going to pretend that you're not really good at using the Force or using a lightsaber? C'mon, Master, I'm not _stupid_. Even if your physical eyes can't see, you can see a _ton_ just by using the Force to feel around you."

"Then I won't use the Force," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well I don't want to slice you in half!" complained Ahsoka. "Why don't you just use a holocron to fight with? I'll be too easy for you, and if you don't use the Force, I'll end up chopping off once of your limbs by accident."

"Let him leave the helmet on," said a voice from behind them. Master Shaak Ti appeared from the shadows of the doorway. "I have no problem sparring with Young Skywalker."

Ahsoka's eyes grew huge. "M—Master," she stuttered.

"Is there a problem, Padawan Tano?" asked Shaak Ti kindly. "Let Skywalker use the Force all he wants. With that helmet on, he will have a hard time fighting me." The smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes reflected the joking tone in her voice.

"Ah, Master Ti," said Anakin beneath the helmet. "So you've come to teach me a lesson I won't soon forget, right?"

"You're very proud, Skywalker," said Shaak Ti, finding it hard to be truly irritated with his demeanor. "I just intend to bring you a little closer to the ground." She chuckled.

"Master Ti, I don't think this is a good idea," said Ahsoka nervously.

"I won't hurt him," said Shaak Ti.

"It's not him I'm worried about," said Ahsoka, seeing Anakin's grin beneath the blaster shield.

Anakin took a moment to Force-grab a training lightsaber from the nook in the wall where the training equipment was stored. Shaak Ti did the same for herself, though she wished they were using _real_ lightsabers to try out their skills. She truly wanted to see Young Skywalker's skill for herself.

"For future reference, Snips," said Anakin, activating the yellow blade, "you don't have to hack me into little pieces. Training lightsabers aren't just for Younglings, you know."

Shaak Ti activated her lightsaber, which happened to have a green blade. In truth, she disliked other colors for blades, and cherished her own sapphire blue blade in the lightsaber hanging at her belt.

"All right, Young Skywalker, show me the power of _the Chosen One_!" She sounded eager as she brandished the green blade at Anakin. He stood quietly in the first stance, his feet shoulder-length apart, his blade low. With the lightsaber humming, he brought it around and swung at Shaak Ti. She avoided his wide swing with a "tsk tsk" and then lunged at him with hers. He parried and struck again, which she parried.

They fought for twenty minutes easily, dancing around the room, lunging and dodging, thrusting and parrying. Ahsoka had spoken the truth earlier when she'd said that it didn't matter if Anakin was wearing a helmet. The Force lended him even better sight than that which he got from his real eyes.

Ahsoka had the sneaking feeling that Anakin was toying with Shaak Ti.

"Enough of this!" Shaak Ti said, a little annoyed. Apparently she'd got the same suspicion. She pulled her blue-bladed lightsaber from her belt and activated it. She tossed the training one to Ahsoka, who caught it, surprised. Then Shaak Ti launched at Anakin Skywalker, slicing and hacking against his identical blue blade as if she really meant to cut Anakin into minced meat.

Anakin's thoughts were calm. He could feel Shaak Ti's irritation. In truth, he was surprised at her reaction to him, and all that he had been through. If he had done something to injure her personally he would have understood what her annoyance was, but it seemed to have come out of nowhere.

Then Shaak Ti dropped her deactivated weapon and fell to her knees, sobbing.

Anakin tore his helmet off, looking for injury, his lightsaber deactivated and on his belt in a nanosecond. He took Shaak Ti by the shoulders. "Master! Are you all right? Did I hurt you?"

She shook her montrals, her head tails shaking. "I am . . . embarrassed!" she managed between sobs. "I am so embarrassed! First the Chancellor . . . now you . . . I am truly NOT the excellent judge of character I prized myself to be once long ago!"

Anakin looked awkward as he patted Shaak Ti on the shoulder, trying to comfort her. Ahsoka kneeled by her, giving her as much of an embrace as she could from the awkward side angle.

"I felt your true spirit, Skywalker, as we fought. I am sorry to have judged you, even if it was only a little!" said Shaak Ti. He handed her the lightsaber respectfully.

"Master, whatever I have done, I am truly, very sorry for it," he said honestly. She took her weapon from him, looked up at him, tear streaks on her rusty-white cheeks.

"You have not wronged me. You will do well, here, Skywalker." She stood as regally as she could, considering her embarrassing scene. "You will be a true Jedi Master. Farewell until the morrow." She hurried out of the training chamber, her robes swirling around her legs as she went.

Ahsoka and Anakin traded a look that said, "What was _that_ about?"

_. . ._


	8. Trial of Spirit

The morning air was cold, and Anakin felt a thrill rush through him. Excitement seemed to permeate the air as a group of younglings, herded by a younger Jedi Knight, rushed past Anakin, pointing and whispering excitedly. The younger Jedi Knight gave a smile to Anakin as they passed.

He waited patiently outside the Council chambers, his hands clasped behind his back as he tried to look calm. It was daybreak, and he was there. But the Council doors remained closed, and he couldn't feel anyone beyond the great doors with the Force.

_They must be hiding themselves within the Force so that I can't feel them,_ thought Anakin. _But why bother if I already know they're inside?_

As if on cue, the great doors, etched with symbols from the first days of the Jedi Order, slid open with a mechanical hiss, the hydraulic's groaning slightly. The lights were dim, dimmer than Anakin had ever seen them, and all the Council chairs had been removed from within, leaving the cool marble looking empty, yet serene.

No one was inside.

Anakin thought it might be a joke. "Hello?" he asked, stepping into the room.

Suddenly the doors shut, and with a dull _thud_ that rang into the silence, all became quiet, like the settling of dust.

Anakin whirled around, and then his eyes looked around stealthily. He slightly crouched, reaching for his lightsaber. With an electric _humm_ it sprang to life, the glowing blue-blade reassuring to him. With one hand (his organic one) he reached out, and used the Force to search all the nooks and crannies of the room. He Force-swept outside the room. Everyone had gone to their chambers or alcoves, staying away from the Council room.

In the past, a long while ago, the Trials had resulted in death a few times when the Jedi Knights hadn't come sufficiently prepared.

"Hello Anakin," said a familiar, cunning voice. Anakin turned slowly, and saw Chancellor Palpatine walking calmly toward him from a dark corner of the room.

Anakin stepped backwards, raising the lightsaber defensively. "No," he said uncertainly, shaking his head. His heart began to beat rapidly. "No. No, this isn't possible. You're—"

Palpatine chuckled. "Dead? My dear boy, if only you knew what an overstatement that word is to compare my present state!" He laughed jovially, as if sharing a joke. Then an evil red glow appeared and lengthened in his hand, and Anakin realized the old man was holding a red-bladed lightsaber in his hand.

"If anything, I'm more powerful than _ever_," he breathed wickedly, his eyes glowing red under his hood from the reflection of his blade.

"No! It's not possible!" shouted Anakin, backing away. He hit something solid, and realized he was against the doors. Fear quickened inside him.

"Yes. Ye-e-e-esss," whispered Palpatine. He closed his eyes and smelled the air, as if smelling a delicious aroma. "I can feel your fear. Let it grow into anger and hate. Then you can feel the power of the Dark Side!"

"I don't want to be a Sith!" said Anakin, sounding angry. "I'll never join you!"

"Well I see that you no longer care about Padme," said Palpatine smoothly.

"You don't know anything. Padme is everything to me!" growled Anakin, his lightsaber humming as it swept through the air while he walked.

"And yet you won't do all in your power to save her from death," hissed Palpatine, his face turning into a snarl.

"There is nothing wrong with letting her go the way of the Force!" said Anakin, remembering Master Yoda's words. He repeated them in hopes of helping himself to believe them. "Attachment leads to jealousy, the shadow of greed!"

"Don't be a fool! Do you pretend that you have no jealousy in your heart?" snapped Palpatine. "Are you stupid, boy? The Jedi are brain-washing you into believing that you deserve no happiness!"

"Becoming a Sith will not make me happy," said Anakin angrily.

"Yet you give in to fear and anger," said Palpatine, mocking Anakin with an evil smile. "I feel them so strongly, you could crush me in your anger just by manipulating the Force—"

"Well I don't want to!" burst out Anakin. "And you're not real! You died! I killed you with my own hands!"

"A cold-blooded murder," said Palpatine darkly. "Yet another Jedi who says one thing and does another."

"You forced me to kill you!" Anakin said defensively. "You murdered first, for power!"

"And I suppose that you are excused because you were doing what was _right_?" sneered Palpatine.

"I should have killed you when you first told me you were the Sith Lord!" growled Anakin. "I should have struck you down where you stood, but I did the right thing. And when you overwhelmed Master Windu and the other Council members, you forced me to kill you because _you_ tried to kill _him_!"

"You helped him murder me, Anakin! _You_ helped him MURDER ME!" shrieked Palpatine, leaping at Anakin. Their blades snapped with electromagnetic ferocity as they clashed together, blue and red gleaming in the dim light.

"You will let your wife die, all because you have let the stubborn-mindedness of the Jedi brain-wash you into thinking that everyone must 'go the way of the Force'!"

"They do!" grunted Anakin, his muscles shaking from holding back the enormous frightening power behind the red blade. "If it is the will of the Force, Padme will transform into it, and she will be with me forever!" He pushed Papatine away, and their lightsabers met again with another sharp _crack_ as Palpatine slammed his blade down hard at the young Jedi.

"I will kill you, foolish boy!" cackled Palpatine, as he battered again and again at Anakin. "Then you will see how much you become the Force for yourself!"

"It's better to die using the Light Side of the Force, than to rule using the Dark Side!" grunted Anakin, parrying blow after shattering blow from the old man.

"If you believe that philosophy, then why try so hard to preserve your life, _Jedi Scum_?" spat Palpatine with disgust.

"Someone has got to destroy you, you and all the other Sith, to bring peace to the galaxy!" growled Anakin, parrying another blow and thrusting at Palpatine, who blocked the thrust and brought his saber down in an arc to take off a limb.

"Peace is a lie!" snarled Palpatine. "There is only balance when light and dark co-exist in one place! Your _beloved_ Jedi do not believe that!"

"I _am_ a Jedi!" shouted Anakin, and in two moves he disarmed Palpatine and had the old man kneeling in defeat.

Both were breathing heavily. Anakin's chest heaved up and down and he brushed some hair from his face.

"Go ahead, Anakin. Strike me down. Then you will replace me in the Sith Order!" commanded Palpatine, looking triumphant.

Anakin deactivated his blue blade and it hissed as it slid back into the sheath, disappearing from sight. He tossed his lightsaber away from him. "No. I already killed you once, and I will not strike you down in anger. I would rather die before betraying the Light within me."

"Then you _will_ die!" Force lightning shot from Palpatine's crooked fingers striking Anakin and he fell to the ground in agony, yelling in pain.

"I will make sure that you will suffer for your treachery!" shrieked Palpatine and he began to laugh as he continued to shock Anakin. "And when I am done with you, I shall kill your beloved Padme!"

"No!" screamed Anakin. His body convulsed on the ground and he felt like he was on fire, all of his muscles crying out in agony. He could smell the acrid burnt stench of metal as the deadly electricity of the Force-lightning shocked through his entire body.

With every ounce of energy he could muster, Anakin used the Force to grab his lightsaber and activated it in the air, sending it soaring toward the evil Sith. Palpatine laughed and used one of his hands to grab the lightsaber with the force, holding it inches away from his face.

Anakin then summoned the Force, inhaling through his nostrils, and the marble flagstones beneath their feet began to tremor. Palpatine took his attention away from Anakin's lightsaber for only a moment, but that was alll Anakin needed. He Force-grabbed both Palpatine's and his own lightsaber and brought them into an X, slicing through Palpatine's neck. For the second time in his life, Palpatine was beheaded, and his body sunk to the ground as his head rolled away and stopped a meter away, rocking a little.

Then his body shimmered, faded, and was gone in a matter of seconds. Anakin's lightsaber lay on the ground near where Palpatine's body had just lain.

He sunk to his knees, covered in sweat, his body groaning from pain.

The lights in the room brightened, and the huge doors opened, allowing the Jedi Council to file in.

"Congratulations, Skywalker," he could hear Mace Windu saying. "You have just passed the Trial of Spirit."

Obi-Wan hurried to him, helping him stand, and smiling proudly at him.

"Come on. Let's get you to the Medic Center so we can get you in the bacta tank. And so we can, again, replace your prosthetic." He sounded apologetic.

Anakin smiled wearily. "I passed."

"You did, Anakin. And a well done job, if I do say so," he said as they began to shuffle out of the room.

"Rest, Young Skywalker must, before the last Trial he is to take," said Yoda. "This evening, resume the last Trial, we will."

"Let's hurry," said Obi-Wan. "Before they decide to administer it right now."

Anakin barely had the strength to grin. "Let them. I'll pass it, too."

Obi-Wan dragged Anakin out of the room, smiling to the other Masters. He whispered to Anakin. "Just be quiet until we get out of here!"

Ahsoka was standing outside the Council chambers. Obi-Wan didn't hesitate.

"Help me drag him to the Medic Center, will you? He's a little punch-drunk. One too many hits from a Sith, I'm afraid."

"Did he pass?" Ahsoka asked breathlessly, taking Anakin's other arm and helping Obi-Wan drag him down the large corridor.

Obi-Wan smiled. "Yes. Yes he did."

_. . ._


	9. In the Shadow of the Sith

The _drip-drip-drip_ of droplets hitting the cave floor awoke Kiran Quin from a restless sleep. He wearily opened his eyes and for a moment everything looked blurry. As his vision cleared, he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

A bright flash blinded him, and he shielded his face with his arms. When he could finally see again, the cave was empty as before.

He looked down at his body. His black robe and tan tunic were ripped and torn to nearly shreds, and his brown leggings were riddled with holes. He was missing a boot—his left one. His hands went to his sides, checking for his weapons . . . Shaking his head he sighed with frustration. His lightsaber and shoto were missing too.

"He's awake, Lord Scion," came a smooth, evil voice from the darkness of the cave.

Kiran scrambled to his feet, backing up as quickly as he could. Someone Force-slammed him to the ground, and with the air knocked from his lungs, he was unable to cry out with pain.

"Oh good," said another darker, more sinister voice. "The boy was not fully incapacitated when you took him for me, Nalah."

Kiran tried to get up, but someone was Force-holding him to the ground, and when he struggled, the grip grew tighter.

"Please!" he cried out, "Let me go!"

"Let you go?" asked the dark voice. "I can't do that, young Jedi. I must kill you. Or, you must kill me."

A cowled figure in a dark cloak stepped out of the shadows, accompanied by a slightly taller, thinner figure, also hidden by a dark cloak.

Kiran felt fear shudder through him. The first figure laughed mirthlessly. "Look at how he tries to cover up his feelings!" he said to the taller one.

"Y-you're the Rogue Sith!" Kiran stammered, his worst fears coming true.

"Y-you're c-c-correct!" mimicked the evil Sith Lord. "And now that Lord Sidious has been destroyed, it is time to step out of the shadows and take over his Empire!"

His shadow fell over Kiran's face. The dark-haired boy cowered.

"No Jedi will stop me!" said the Sith, walking close enough for Kiran to see his many small horns, marking him as a Zabrak. His face, however, was painted pitch black with blood red stripes lining his cheeks, and all of his horns were painted the same crimson color as the stripes on his face.

"And now, boy, you will make your choice. To kill, or be killed!"

. . .

Anakin used the Force with great exertion, grunting a little under his breath as he found, one by one, that each Jedi Knight standing before him could not hold up their mental shields. He penetrated each mind, as gently as he could so he would not destroy anyone's mind, and found that none of them were real people. All except . . .

"None of you are real," he said slowly. "Except . . . that young woman, there."

At once, the simulacrums disappeared, all except for one. The human girl stepped forward. Her long dark hair was pulled back from her face in a loose ponytail. She wore a traditional Jedi tunic and leggings with knee-high boots.

"Are you sure that I am real?" she asked in an eerily soft voice.

"As skilled as you are in hiding your mind, I did feel one faint tendril of the Force. It felt curious to me. Like for a nanosecond you wondered something and then remembered what you were supposed to be doing," smiled Anakin. Silently he congratulated her. He had almost failed in recognizing that she was separate from the simulacrums.

Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink against her pale skin. She bowed slightly to Anakin. "You are most insightful, Jedi Skywalker."

"Well done, Anakin!" came Mace Windu's voice. For the second time that day, Anakin turned to the Council doors and watched as the Jedi Masters filed through, each with an approving smile on their faces. Master Shaak Ti even winked at Anakin, her smile wide.

"Young Skywalker, kneel," commanded Master Windu. Master Yoda approached Anakin as he knelt down on one knee. Leaning on his Gimer stick, Yoda stood quietly before Anakin, before saying,

"A Jedi Master, you have become. Proved to us, you have, your ability to receive this rank. Give you, we do, the respect and honor due a Master. Continue to sit on the Council, you will, as Master Skywalker." He raised his Gimer stick and gently touched Anakin on the shoulder with it.

Anakin stood and his smile was broad. He laughed as Obi-Wan gave him a hug and pounded him on the back.

"Oh, well done, well done Anakin!" praised Obi-Wan.

"Very good, Master Skywalker," smiled Shaak Ti, bowing her head to him slightly.

As he was congratulated by all the members of the High Council, Anakin noticed the young Jedi Knight slip out of the chamber.

"Master," he asked, when the noise had receded and he and Obi-Wan were strolling down a corridor together, "who was that Jedi Knight in my final trial?"

Obi-Wan smiled mischievously, "You're not thinking of leaving Padme now, are you?"

Anakin frowned. "No! Don't say such things," he grumbled.

Obi-Wan laughed, nudging Anakin's shoulder. "You never let me tease you."

"Master, I have _never_ let you tease me. I don't know why you still try," said Anakin as maturely as he could muster.

"Well, some of us have rather meager hopes and dreams," chuckled Obi-Wan. "And to answer your question, that was Zandra Sunrider. She has always been rather meek and quiet, and seldom to be seen or heard. I think she's always admired you—that would explain her blushing when you spoke to her at the end." His smile was wide and he laughed.

"Who was her master?" Anakin asked curiously. He'd never seen her or heard her name before.

"Why, Aayla Secura," said Obi-Wan, surprised that Anakin hadn't known. "Sunrider is the daughter of Neema-Da-Boda, in the Sunrider family line. Nomi Sunrider is her long distant maternal relative."

"Well, thank you for the geneology, but that doesn't help me recognize her. I wonder why I haven't seen her before," said Anakin thoughtfully.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Perhaps because you were never in a leadership position to hear of her, I suppose. Master Secura kept Sunrider quiet, because the girl has been known to have the potential for the Dark Side in her blood."

"Sunrider . . . that's very interesting," Anakin said quietly.

"Indeed," said Obi-Wan, a smile playing at his moustache. "She and Aayla arrived last week from Felucia."

They walked down the corridor in silence for a little while.

"I feel your thoughts wandering, Anakin," said Obi-Wan quietly. "Maybe it's time to visit your friend?"

Anakin nodded. "She'll be glad to hear the news. Thank you Master." He smiled and ran the last few meters of the corridor, turning the corner and disappearing into the bright night of Coruscant.

. . .

_Kiran Quin, Darth Scion, Nalah, and Zandra Sunrider are all my OC's._


	10. Sunrider and Secura

Zandra Sunrider met Aayla Secura in the Temple's Room of a Thousand Fountains. Waterfalls and huge amounts of flora, meditative areas, pottery, and stone walkways decorated the huge room, which had been placed at the base of the temple hundreds of years before.

At the moment, Master Secura was meditating quietly by some large, feathery-leafed plants, next to a large vase that had an inscription of the first Jedi Purge. She cracked her eyes open and a smile crossed her blue face.

"Ah, young Sunrider. How did the Trial of Insight go for Skywalker?" she asked humorously. "Did he pass?"

Zandra sounded slightly miserable as she sat next to her master. "Of course he passed," she muttered, adjusting her lightsabers on her belt so they wouldn't stick her in her back. The cool marble stones that formed the small circle in the midst of the plants was calming, and she tried her best to use the Force to lift herself off the ground and balance on one foot.

Secura snickered, ruining Sunrider's concentration, and she fell on her backside. One of her lightsabers jammed into her hip and she let out a little cry of surprise and pain.

"Ow!"

Aayla couldn't help herself. She rolled her eyes and laughed, getting up to assist her Padawan from the floor.

"Your concentration needs a lot of work, Sunrider," she said, trying to be stern and failing as she chuckled.

"I know," said Zandra, sounding even more miserable. She stood. Though she felt stupid, her posture spoke of a young women who was fully confident in her abilities. So her shoulders didn't slump, even though her eyes were downcast.

"It will take time," said Aayla sympathetically, touching her cheek gently. "One day, you'll get it right. And no one will be able to distract you."

"Well, that's the reason Master Skywalker passed," said Zandra, sounding dejected.

"What?" asked Secura curiously. "How do you mean?" Her Twi'lek head tails twitched, as a small smile played on her lips.

"I lost concentration . . ." Sunrider mumbled.

Secura leaned closer. "I'm sorry, what was that?" she asked playfully.

"I lost my concentration and he was able to feel me through the force, okay!" Zandra said frustratedly. Secura smiled gently and grabbed her padawan in a hug, patting her back. Young Sunrider just stood there, her arms hanging dejectedly at her sides.

"Ah, well. I highly doubt it was your inability as much as it was his high level of skill, Sunrider," Aayla said reassuringly. Zandra broke out of the hug and nodded to her master.

"I appreciate your confidence in me, Master. But—"

Secura smiled, "But what? My assessment of you is wrong? Listen, Sunrider, I've known you since you were half my height. I know you, who you are and what you are capable of. And Anakin Skywalker is the Chosen One. He is stronger, much stronger, in raw power than I. His skills are getting just as high. At any rate, I don't think you broke down much today. It was him, not you, that allowed him to pass the test." She placed a soft, blue hand on Zandra's shoulder.

"Now, come and meditate with me." She steered young Sunrider back to the marble stone circle from which they had wandered about a meter during their talk, and sat down across from her. Reluctantly, Zandra complied, and closed her eyes.

_I can't even hide my Force presence. What kind of a Jedi am I?_ She thought angrily at herself.

_Will you please, please calm your mind and concentrate, Sunrider?_came Secura's mind presence. It was strong and gentle at the same time, and feeling her there, Zandra instantly felt a wave of calmness wash over her.

. . .


	11. A New Arrival

It was growing late. Aayla Secura was standing on a balcony of the Temple, looking out over Coruscant, the sapphire-blue, blood-red, and rusty-orange sunset alluringly beautiful at this time of the evening. The lights from transports and buildings alike gave the illusion of a billion jewels glittering in the air between buildings. Though the air was smoggy, and not as pleasant to breathe as it was to look at, Secura didn't mind stepping out once in a while to gaze out at the city and wonder what the future held for her mysterious Padawan. The roar of speeders and starships and large transport was a loud hum, sometimes intermitted with mechanical alarms, depending on the traffic passing by at the moment. Secura leaned against the marble banister, the cool stone against her vibrant blue skin.

_I find it more relaxing to gaze at the scenery from inside, Master,_ came a gentle tendril of thought.

_Spying on me, I see,_ thought Secura, amused. Her blue skin reflected the strange glow of the sunset, and she turned to see Young Sunrider standing just inside the large arched doorway that led out to the marbled balcony.

Their shared and momentary glance was interrupted by a starfighter crashing into the landing platform below. Smoke billowed up and sparks flew as the cockpit flew open and a young Jedi stumbled into the crushed marble flagstones. Blood streaked his face, his dark black hair smouldering where a couple sparks had found their way into it. A spot on his skull was matted with blood, as if he had cracked his head against the cockpit glass, or against the control panel. He glanced around, as if searching for someone, and then collapsed only a meter from the ship.

Aayla Secura leapt from the balcony, her headtails waving in the air as she soared downward, and landed lightly on her feet, springing down to the landing platform where the starship had burst into flames. The young Jedi was very light, and she lifted him onto her shoulders, quickly carrying him up the stairs into the Temple, away from the flaming mass of twisted metal that had been, seconds before, a blue and gold starship.

Sunrider appeared with Eeth Koth and Mace Windu, and the young Jedi was placed on a stretcher and taken deep into the Temple with Master Secura and Padawan Sunrider at his side, his destination a bacta tank in the Medic Center.

. . .

Kiran awoke in a clear synthetic fluid, his vision blurred. He could see figures moving around outside the tank, and noises they made were so muffled by the bacta fluid that he could hardly distinguish between human voices and mechanical sounds.

He closed his eyes and tried to remember what had happened before the crash.

Master Jhoren Lorus' grey grizzled face was solemn as they landed on the surface of Ossus, a dangerous mission because the planet was toxic. The Jedi Council had sent the two of them there to track the whereabouts of what they thought was an Rogue Sith. However, the moment the gunship had set down upon terra firma, an ambush of heavily armed Native Ysanna attacked them. Kiran had woken up in that strange cave and met the Sith Lord. Darth Scion had his accomplice bring out Kiran's old Master and tortured the old man until Kiran had begged with tears for his Master's life. And then—then with a wicked laugh, the Sith had slashed open the throat and belly of Master Lorus. The old Jedi Master barely had the time to tell Kiran to get off the planet to warn the Jedi Council, before his body fell with a very moist _thud_. Kiran had blinked twice, then looked up and glared at the Sith Lord before throwing himself at the dark cloaked figure, eager to engage his enemy in battle . . .

The movement outside his tank had increased. Then he felt a pressure shift in the liquid around him. In a few moments, the bacta fluid had drained down past his shoulders and his vision cleared as it kept draining out of the tank. In minutes the entire tank had drained and he was being mechanically lifted out of it, synthetic liquid dripping from his dark hair. A robotic arm carefully removed his breathing mask, and he coughed a little bit. He could taste a sickly-sweet tang in his mouth and it nearly made him gag.

"He is looking much better, Master Windu," said the Medic Droid. "He will be kept here for medical observation for twenty-four hours."

"Master Windu?" asked Kiran weakly, stumbling forward. The white medical wrap around his waist was sagging off his hip a bit. A pair of strong arms caught him, steadying him.

"Careful. You've been through a big ordeal. It's time to rest easy, you're safe here." The voice was calming, gentle and kind. It was a very feminine voice.

"I'm all right," he said with a faint smile. "I can manage."

"Not yet, you can't," she said firmly, but still in that gentle tone. "You're very weak, and the injuries you sustained were great."

"I need to see . . . warn the Council . . . great threat . . ." he mumbled, leaning heavily against Aayla Secura. His hair was wet with the bacta that had started to evaporate, leaving a weird jelly substance in its wake. Sunrider glanced at her Master, who shrugged.

"Please bring him over here and set him on the observation table. We will clean him and let him rest," said the Medic Droid in an irritated tone. Aayla obeyed, carefully laying him down on the metallic surface, then backed away, a strange expression on her face.

"Come back tomorrow. He should be ready to leave then," said the Droid, guiding them to the door. It hissed shut behind them. Sunrider huffed.

"Medic Droids are so pushy," she said, with a backwards glance at the door.

"They were built that way, Padawan," smiled Master Secura, one of her headtails twitching in amusement. "And, as it is, the young male human is no longer our personal concern. Though he looks vaguely familiar to me . . ."

. . .

The Sith Lord, Darth Scion, paced the darkened room, waiting for the holocomm he was expecting from his Sith apprentice, Darth Jadus. Their holocomm's were usually brief, long enough for the Sith Lord to give detailed orders for his apprentice to carry out.

Finally there was a beep, and the Sith pushed a button on the holoprojector that sat on a desk. A figure concealed in dark robes and shadows appeared on the desk, only ten centimeters high, but menacing as ever.

"What can you tell me of your mission, Jadus?" asked the Sith Lord coolly.

"I am here, my Lord," said Jadus, his voice distorted by the holocomm. "I have not been found out."

"Good. If the Jedi have not sensed your presence on Coruscant, then it is doubtful that they will find you until our plan is well under way," said the Sith, his horned brow furrowed as he continued to pace.

"My Lord, how long will I stay concealed?" asked Darth Jadus.

There was a pause. The Zabrak Sith Lord was thinking. His dark clothes seemed to hide him in the shadows whenever he crossed the room where the light was faintest.

"You will stay hidden until I send for you myself," he said finally, walking as carefully as he was thinking. "In order to destroy the Jedi, we must lull them into a false sense of security. With the fall of Darth Sidious, they think they have won, and that there is nothing to fear. No doubt they are concentrating on whom they will place next in the Supreme Chancellor's chair."

"How can we stop them?"

The Sith's smile was laced with poison. "I will step forward and reveal myself. That old senile Sith Lord founded an empire, and now it needs a ruler. And we will destroy anyone that dares to even _sit_ upon the Supreme Chancellor's place in the Senate!" His fist was gripped tightly in the air before his face. "I will rule in that old fool's place!"

. . .

Anakin awoke in the middle of the night, a cold sweat on his body. His sudden jolt awoke Padme, and she struggled to sit up, feeling in the dark for her husband.

"Ani, what is it?" she asked sleepily. He took her hand in the dark and kissed the back of it, letting her stroke his cheek.

"I have a horrible feeling that our troubles with the Sith have only begun," he said quietly. "I had a dream where the Republic was destroyed . . . I saw a dark figure who was a Sith, and he looked at me and told me he was going to kill me . . . and you."

Padme scooted close to Anakin and wrapped her arms around his bare chest, resting her soft cheek against his shoulder.

"I know that you think all your dreams are prophetic, Ani, but Palpatine is dead. The threat is gone—"

Anakin stiffened. "That's exactly what the Sith would want us to think, Padme. No one would be expecting them to rise up after the Sith Lord was destroyed. They've got to be hiding somewhere, and I need to find where they are and eradicate them."

"It's all right to be a little paranoid," Padme said, kissing his cheek. "I trust your feelings more than mine. If you really think that the Sith are on the rise, I believe you." She laid back down wearily and sighed. "Can you sleep now?"

Anakin smiled and stroked her hair. "Nope. I'm going to the Temple and telling Obi-Wan what I saw. I'm not taking any chances, not when we're this close." He leaned over and kissed her gently, touched her cheek with his fingers affectionately, then got out of bed. Within minutes he had dressed and hung his lightsaber on his belt. He went over to the bed and kissed Padme again.

"I love you. I will protect you with my life, milady. No harm will come to you if I can prevent it."

She smiled and raised up on her elbow to cup his cheek in her hand. "I love you too, Ani. Holocomm me when you're all done so I don't worry."

"You got it." And with one more kiss, he left the bedroom in a swirl of Jedi robes. The front door hydraulics hissed open and shut, and Padme felt a tear trickle down her cheek as she rolled over under the sheets. It would be a long, long night.

. . .

Obi-Wan was meditating when someone comm'd in at his door.

"Who's there?" he asked warily.

"It's me, Master. Will you let me in?" Obi-Wan knew by the tense sound of Anakin's voice that something was very wrong. As the hydraulics hissed open, Anakin didn't wait for an invitation, but walked in quickly, and stood before Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was sitting on the edge of his cot.

"I forgot how . . . cozy . . . these little alcoves are," Anakin said dryly.

"Did you interrupt my nighttime meditation to make me aware of how tiny my living space is, Anakin? Or is there something real you'd like to talk with me about?" said Master Kenobi, with a hint of a smile playing about his moustache.

Anakin's body language was tense as he kept himself from pacing the floor. "Master, I saw, in a dream, that the Sith are going to rise up again, this time a more powerful Sith Lord than Sidious, who will kill all of us . . . who will kill me."

"So, what you're saying is, you had such a bad nightmare that you had to come all the way to the Temple to tell me about it?" asked Obi-Wan genially.

"Will you stop trying to use humor and just _listen_?" Anakin asked frustratedly. "By the _Force_, sometimes you really exercise my patience!"

"I exercise _your_ patience, Anakin? You really don't remember much of our Master and Padawan days together, do you?"

"Master! Please!" Anakin said with a tinge of anger.

"Very well," sighed Obi-Wan kindly, "Let's say that your dream is a prophetic vision of future events that will come to pass. So the Sith will rise up with an even more powerful Lord than Darth Sidious. What are we to do with that information? Did your dream tell you how many there were? Or how we can find them and defeat them before they have the chance to rise up and defeat us?"

Anakin gritted his teeth. "No."

"All right," said Obi-Wan, nodding calmly. "Well, even if the Sith do rise up against us once more, this time they don't have an agent inside the Senate, which should be helpful."

"We don't know that, Master," said Anakin quickly.

"Well at least they don't have an army of thousands of clones, which we do," said Obi-Wan. "Exactly how many Sith did you see rising up in your dream, Anakin?"

Anakin felt like Obi-Wan was poking fun at him, but calmly answered, "Just one."

"I see," said Obi-Wan, becoming silent and closing his eyes to think. "Well, I think you have reason to be worried, Anakin. Your dreams have been correct in the past, but that may have been because you made a move to correct the future you saw, and therefore, most likely created that future by trying to avoid it."

"Are you saying that my mother's death was my fault?" asked Anakin quietly.

"No, that's not what I'm saying," sighed Obi-Wan. He stood up and placed his hands on Anakin's shoulders in a fatherly gesture. "Look, my young friend, why don't you go home and get some rest. When you come back tomorrow, we will take this up with the Jedi Council and see what move they want to make. I trust your feelings, Anakin. If you think that there is a threat, then it is most likely your feelings are true."

Anakin turned and walked out of the room. At the door, he looked over his shoulder. "It means a lot to me that you trust what I think, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan Kenobi smiled at his friend. "It means a lot to me that you appreciate it. We will find out why you had that dream, Anakin. Don't worry."

"Thanks, Master," said Anakin, and the door hissed shut.

Obi-Wan sat back down on the edge of his bed, feeling troubled. He wondered, amused, if he would be able to fall asleep now.

. . .


	12. Forbidden Desire Awakened

"Are you going to talk to him, or are you going to just stare a hole right through his head?" asked Master Secura as she smiled at her Padawan. At Zandra Sunrider's shocked look, her master laughed, her blue head-tails twitching with amusement. "Honestly, Sunrider, you could not be more obvious about your interest in him. And you know the rules."

"But who is he?" asked Padawan Sunrider, as she and her Master were standing in the large, domed hallway, behind one of the large marble pillars.

"He is a Jedi Knight," said Aayla Secura, shrugging. "That's all you should really care about, Sunrider."

Zandra rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm going to try and start something with him, Master," she protested. "I'm just worried . . . about his head . . . injury." She trailed off, staring at the dark-haired young man who was talking with Master Windu across the way, by another large marble pillar.

Secura couldn't help snorting. "Of course." She grabbed Zandra's tunic by the arm and began dragging her away. "You and I have some training to do, Padawan. I'm making you take the trials soon, and you had _better_ pass the first time around!"

"Oh! But—!" protested Sunrider as Master Secura pulled her away, heading off to the training room where they could spar.

At the pillar where Mace Windu stood talking with Kiran Quin, the sight of the blue-skinned Twi'lek pulling her reluctant Padawan away was only noticed by the younger Jedi, who was obviously more prone to distraction than Master Windu.

"This is a serious matter that the Council should meet over," Windu was saying as Kiran's blue eyes drifted away for a moment. "You will come to a meeting this evening and tell the whole Council everything you know about this threat, and about what happened to you and your master."

Kiran nodded. "Of course, Master. As you wish."

Windu placed a hand on the young Jedi's shoulder, sounding genuinely sorry. "I am deeply sorry for the loss of your Master, Jedi Quin. Jhoren Lorus was a great Jedi Master, and he will be missed."

A lone tear traced down Kiran's cheek as he bowed his dark-haired head. "Thank you, Master. I know that he is with me always in the Force."

Mace Windu nodded, patted Kiran's shoulder, and then walked away, leaving the young man alone. As the more experienced Jedi walked away, Kiran wiped the tear from his face with the back of his hand. Without looking, he stepped into the hallway and walked right into Anakin Skywalker.

"Ouch!"

They both stepped back, Anakin rubbing his chin, Kiran rubbing his nose.

"Watch where you're walking!" scowled Anakin. "Did you have to step right out in front of me?" He saw Kiran's bandages and sighed, his scowl lessening. "Sorry. What I should've said was, 'Are you okay?'" His stance said he wasn't _too_ sorry though, and he expected Kiran to accept most of the blame for the little incident.

"S-sorry, Master Skywalker," apologized Kiran, looking embarrassed. "I wasn't looking. I'm clumsy anyways . . . I have a lot on my mind." He looked so apologetic that Anakin kind of felt a bit embarrassed _for_ him.

"Well, it's okay. I mean, it was just a little bump. I over-reacted," said Anakin, a lot more kindly than he had been at first. "I mean it. It's all right. Don't get all hung up on it."

Kiran smiled a little. "Thanks. I really am sorry."

Anakin waved his hand. "Seriously. _Don't_ worry about it." Then he paused. "Hey, wait a minute. You're the kid that crashed into the landing platform a few days ago, aren't you?" His expression grew solemn. "I'm sorry for the loss of your Master. That must have been really hard."

Kiran's eyes watered, but he straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat. "It's all right. He—he's in the Force now, and I know that wherever I go, he's always with me." He trailed off, looking away.

Anakin looked Kiran in the face, touching one of his shoulders carefully. "Are you going to be okay?"

Kiran nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'll be fine. Thanks, Master." He walked away quickly before Anakin could ask any more questions.

Anakin watched the younger Jedi hurry away with an odd expression on his face. Something felt . . . weird.

. . .

The Room of a Thousand Fountains was beautiful. The sound of the water gushing down into small pools, the smell of clean earth and fresh vegetation was all so energizing and peaceful, it was an instant feeling of calm for Kiran as he stepped around the plants and pottery, gazing at the art and beauty around him.

As he stepped around a clump of large ferny plants, he saw the girl from earlier, sitting with her master. The Twi'lek was levitating above the marble stone, lifting a potted plant into the air with the Force. Her Padawan, however, was struggling to levitate herself, focusing on balancing on one foot underneath her crossed legs. Her frame was trembling.

"It's a lot easier if you relax," commented Kiran helpfully. There was the sound of pottery breaking, not from Aayla Secura, who had opened her eyes and was still successfully levitating both herself and the potted plant, but from her Padawan, who had fallen over and knocked a different potted plant from its place near the pool edge.

Zandra picked herself up angrily, looking at the potted plant with frustration, then shooting a glance of distrust at Kiran. When she saw who it was, however, her expression softened, and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

Aayla Secura set the potted plant down carefully, and then rested her own body on the cool marble flagstones below. She stood regally, assessing Kiran Quin with a cool glance.

"Is there a particular reason you came here and disturbed our meditation?" she asked curiously. "My Padawan already has difficulties with her focus. The last thing she needs is someone sneaking up on her to frighten her out of her studies."

"I didn't mean to surprise you—" Kiran began, but Master Secura raised one blue hand to quiet him.

"No, no. I'm sure you didn't. But when you mask your presence in the Force and sneak up quietly on someone who is concentrating really hard with their eyes closed, it kind of gives the impression that you were going for the element of surprise, if you know what I mean," said Aayla calmly.

Kiran bowed his dark-haired head. "I'm truly sorry. I was trying to be helpful by being quiet and masking my Force presence. I just—when I saw your face," he said, turning to Sunrider to explain, "I just had to try and give you a little advice. You looked like you were about to pass out from pure concentration."

Sunrider finished brushing off her clothes and smiled. "Yes, well. Apology accepted. I'm not very good at meditation anyway. You just—took me a little off-guard, that's all."

"Would it be okay we talked for a little while?" asked Kiran, the question directed at Sunrider, but his glance at Secura was for permission.

The Twi'lek master nodded. "Very well. I can see that your reunion can't be put off for long. You may converse for a little while," She walked to Zandra, placing her hand on her shoulder. "But don't take too long. We still have a lot more to do today." She briefly cupped Zandra's cheek in her hand, then with a kind glance at Kiran, she walked away from them, disappearing among the various large plants.

"Do I know you?" asked Sunrider, her long hazelnut colored hair gleaming in the soft ambient lights that were meant to reflect the light of Coruscant's suns.

Kiran smiled. "I think so. I mean, obviously we don't know each other well, but I remember you from when we were Younglings. You're still pretty." He ducked his head and blushed. "Uh, well, I mean, you're prettier than I remember, but that doesn't mean I—what I mean to say—"

Zandra stopped him before he hurt himself. "Thanks. I don't get many compliments on my appearance. I suppose I'm pretty enough for a Jedi. She blushed a little. "I don't remember much from those days, I'm afraid. Lectures and lessons from Master Yoda . . . and that's about it."

Kiran's blue eyes were kind. "I remember you because your name, Sunrider, it has a lot of rich Jedi heritage. I researched it in the Library one day because I liked it a lot and wondered where you got the name from."

His friendly remark seemed to set her back a little. She lowered her gaze. "Yes . . . well . . . it's not a name I really _inherited_ from my parents . . . " She walked a little ways from him and knelt by the pool of water, dipping her hand in it.

"I'm sorry—" started Kiran, walking slowly toward her.

She shook her head. "You don't have to apologize, Jedi Quin." Her green eyes looked sad as she gazed at the water her hand was trailing small circles into. "Master Aayla Secura has been my mother and my sister and my friend." She looked up, a smile forming on her face again, though her eyes stayed a little sad. "She told me that when my grandmother, Vima-Da-Boda, brought me to the Temple to become a Jedi, that's when I was given the name Sunrider. She wanted me to grow into it." She sighed. "Apparently some Dark Force users have come out of my family line and she wanted me to grow up away from that stigma." She laughed and pulled her hand from the water. "But you didn't come here to talk about my deceased family, did you? Because that's an awfully boring subject to try and talk about for more than five minutes."

Kiran smiled apologetically and held out his hand. Zandra took it, and he helped her stand up, letting go when she was steady.

"Well," he shrugged, "Each of us has a dreary past. That's why we need friends. To help us get past our pasts. " His smile was so infectious. And he smiled a lot. Sunrider felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Yes. It is nice to have friends, isn't it?" she agreed.

"Want to take a little walk?" asked Kiran in answer.

"Sure," she smiled, her cheeks flushing again. They talked a little about what they had been up to in their apprenticeships with Masters Lorus and Secura. Sunrider found herself growing fonder and fonder of Kiran's voice as he talked. He told her about the last mission with his Master to Ossus, and she found herself in tears when he cried as he told her about Jhoren Lorus' death.

"I'm sorry," he apologized tearfully, wiping his cheeks. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's all right," she smiled sadly. "I just feel so bad for what you went through."

"Things always get better when you find friends," he said with a small smile, his blue eyes piercing her very green ones.

"Yes. I think so too," she conceded. There was a brief moment of silence as they walked between two large ferny plants, brushing aside the feathery-like leaves.

"Well, it was nice to talk with you, Jedi Quin," she said, remembering that the only relationship they would ever have would be as Jedi comrades, no more. The thought made her sad.

"Can I see you again sometime?" asked Kiran, looking a little anxious.

She nodded. "Sure. I don't see why not."

"We could spar tomorrow. I need to train a little bit and strengthen some of my muscles from the injuries I got on Ossus," he said, a little embarrassed.

She smiled, touching his arm. "Hey, look. It's all right, what you went through. You don't have to be embarrassed. I think you're really brave."

There was a shimmer of hope in Kiran's eyes as he looked at her gratefully. "Thanks."

Master Sercura appeared almost instantaneously, brushing aside vegetation as she approached the two young Jedi's.

"Well, I hope you too enjoyed your reunion," she said calmly, taking Zandra's hand. "Come on, Padawan. Let's go eat and then you can meditate in our alcove."

"It was nice to get to know you better," called Kiran with a smile as Zandra followed her Master.

The young Padawan smiled before disappearing into the flora. "You too!"

. . .


	13. Anakin Senses the Sith Threat

"Master, I must speak with you. Now." Anakin's voice was low and urgent as he herded Obi-Wan into a corner without realizing it.

With a chuckle, Obi-Wan Kenobi gently pushed Anakin back a pace with one hand and smiled at him through his graying moustache. "What is it now, Anakin? We're about to convene—" he pointed at the large doors of the Council Chambers, "—and your sudden 'urgent' message, whatever it is, will have to wait."

"No. This is important. It is _extremely_ urgent!" stressed Anakin, his whispers accompanied by jerky hand movements as he tried to keep himself inconspicuously still.

"By the Force, Anakin," sighed Obi-Wan.

"The Sith I told you about is _here_," Anakin hissed, bending toward Obi-Wan as he said it.

Master Kenobi froze. His blue eyes darkened. "What did you say?" he asked haltingly.

Anakin hid the smirk he felt rising up inside him. "The Sith, the one I dreamed about, he is_here_. On Coruscant."

Obi-Wan almost fell over from relief. "I thought you meant he was here in the Temple! By the Force, Anakin! You can't do this kind of thing to me! I'm getting old! I nearly died of a heart attack just then!" He chuckled, and then grabbed Anakin by the shoulder. "Don't do that. Ever. Again."

The Council doors opened, the hydraulics smooth and clean sounding.

"On a different note, I finally ran into Jedi Quin," Anakin said as an afterthought as the Masters on the Council started to file into the large room.

"And what was your impression?" asked Obi-Wan hopefully.

"That something is going on. He's hiding something from us. I don't know what it is just yet, but I'm going to find out," said Anakin, a little more intensely than usual.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "How did I sense that one coming?"

"I guess you know me a little too well, Master," smiled Anakin, following Obi-Wan to their seats around the Council circle. They sat down. Across the circle Master Shaak Ti nodded respectfully to them, a small smile on her beautiful rusty features.

Anakin leaned toward Obi-Wan as subtly as he could, using the Force to send his whisper directly into his former Master's ear. "Why are we here?"

Obi-Wan rubbed his ear ruefully, turning his head to look at his former Padawan. "We're listening to Kiran Quin's report. I thought you knew that."

Anakin shrugged. "I guess I was thinking about other things."

Obi-Wan shook his head with a smile. "Distraction can cost you much, my young friend. You need to learn to concentrate."

"Where have I heard that before?" Anakin asked with a small laugh.

The Council quieted as Master Windu walked in with Master Yoda. A smaller figure followed behind with dark black hair, his tunic parted so that half his chest was visible. His dark leather leggings shone in the lights of the Council Chambers, and his lightsaber swung gently at his hip, tapping against his thigh as he walked.

Anakin's playful manner with his old friend stopped as the young Jedi Knight walked into the room. He watched young Kiran, probed at him with the Force, and felt a surprisingly strong resistance to his probes. He also saw the intense blue eyes of the young Jedi sweep the room, looking for the one who had just touched his Force consciousness.

"Tell us your story, young Quin," said Master Windu. "There are important things happening in the wake of Chancellor Palpatine's death, and maybe the events that have happened to you will reveal more to us than we know."

The dark-haired young man nodded. "Yes, Master."

As he unfolded his tale of landing on Ossus to apprehend the rumor of a Sith threat, his voice seemed to grow husky as he recounted his Master's death at the hand of the enemy they encountered. He told of the feelings he felt, how he tried to go against the Sith, but . . .

". . . there my memory fails me. I woke up in the cockpit of a starfighter, and crash landed outside on the platform. That is all I can tell you," he ended humbly, bowing his head.

"Curious, this is, that a second Sith was there," mused Yoda. "A question it raises about how many Sith there are, that we know not."

"I think there's more to that story than you're telling us," said Anakin, leaning forward in his chair, his elbows on his knees.

All of the Masters turned to look at Anakin. Master Poof looked nervous.

"Excuse me, Master?" asked Kiran, looking shocked.

"You heard me," said Anakin, his voice even. "Why would a Sith let you go? Even less likely is the fact that you were somehow put into a starfighter to escape this Sith and to deliver a message of warning. The Sith don't like to let the Jedi know where they exist."

Kiran looked frightened, caught. "I—I don't know what you're implying, Master Skywalker."

"You don't?" asked Anakin sincerely, sounding a little confused.

"That is enough, Anakin," warned Master Windu.

"I agree with Master Skywalker," said Shaak Ti gently. "There is something missing from Jedi Quin's tale, something important. Whether he remembers it or not is the real question."

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to agree with Shaak Ti and Anakin," said Obi-Wan, sounding resigned.

"I'm not taking sides!" said Master Poof quickly.

"Silence!" shouted Master Windu. The room grew quiet at once. Mace stood up, looking around the room at the Council members.

"This boy—" he said, pointing at Kiran, "—has faced a Sith and miraculously escaped. Who are we to say that his story isn't true? He is a Jedi, we must trust him. His master's death, the appearance of a new Sith Lord, all of this must be taken into consideration and we must council together on what steps to take next." The bright lights shone down from the high ceiling of the Council chambers and reflected off of his dark forehead.

"Geez. Touchy," Force-whispered Anakin into Obi-Wan's ear.

Obi-Wan shook his head.

. . .

"The Jedi suspect that we are here, my Master," came the low voice of Darth Jadus from the new Sith Lord's desk. The Zabrak Sith paced behind the desk, sneering at the hologram, his black lip curled at his apprentice.

"I'm disappointed that you couldn't cover our trail while I laid plans for our next actions against the Jedi, Darth Jadus," he said silkily. "But no matter. Lay a false trail for the Jedi while I put the next step of the plan into place."

"What step is that, my Master?"

Darth Scion laughed mirthlessly. "Don't worry about it, my apprentice. Just draw the Jedi away, make them suspect in the opposite direction than the one we are moving in. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my Master. I understand what I must do."

"Good," said the Sith, scowling in a most terrifying way. "Now go do it!" The holoprojector went dark as he switched it off. He paced around the room, thinking about his plans to bring the Jedi to ruin, savoring every evil thought. His dark clothing swathed him in the shadows as he paced, and he looked like a ghoul haunting the room.

There was a buzz at the comm link on his desk. "Sir, a Nightsister to see you?"

"Very good. Let her in!" he commanded.

The hydraulics in the door hissed open to reveal a tall woman with pale skin. Her dark eyes were cold and hard and black triangular tattoos lined her forehead and cheeks. She stepped lithely into the room, her black leather dress and dark black hair shining under the artificial lights, and bowed to the Sith.

"My Lord, you sent for me. I followed your shuttle as quickly as I could," she said, still bowing, not looking up at Darth Scion's face. His scowl turned into a menacing grimace of satisfaction at her obeisance.

"So you came swiftly. Excellent," breathed the Sith Lord, walking up to the Nightsister. He circled around her, looking her up and down with lust, and traced a black finger up and down her arm as he circled. She shivered, but remained still.

"You may rise," he said, withdrawing from her a meter or so. "You know that my disappointment with Nalah was taken care of by my new apprentice. He is still a little clumsy, but has taken to the Dark Side with some difficulty and has been of little help to me thus far. That is why I need your help."

"My help?" she asked quietly, her eyes half-closed. "That is a great honor, My Lord."

"Yes, it is," he said silkily, with a malicious grin at her. "With the death of Lord Sidious, I must ascend the throne and take the power that he built. He had nearly completed his plans to turn the Senate and their _democracy_—" he spat the word out with derision, "—into an Empire, and I plan to finish what he started."

"What would you have me do?" asked the Nightsister, bowing her head slightly and lowering her eyes.

Darth Scion's black, red-striped face was covered in lustful glee. "My dear Valah, you don't have to meet your sister's fate if you succeed on the mission on which I am going to send you. I know I can trust you to fulfill what I'm about to ask, unlike her."

Valah sighed hungrily. "I will do anything you wish, My Lord. I am yours to control."

Darth Scion's black lips pulled back in a terrifying smile to reveal sharp yellow teeth.

. . .

Kiran Quin walked down the marbled hallway, his boots _clack-clacking_ against the floor as he marched toward his alcove. His face was unreadable, but his body language showed how frustrated he felt at how there were some on the Jedi Council that didn't trust him.

He jammed the buttons at his alcove door, and the door hissed open. He stepped inside and the door hissed closed after him. Safely in private, he picked up a holoprojector off of a shelf near the door and threw it against the far wall with a cry.

"Gah!" he cried out, beginning to sob. He threw himself onto the small cot that projected from the left wall, there was nothing else in his room.

Someone comm'd in at his door.

"Come in!" he said, trying to sound like he hadn't been crying. He wiped his face with the sleeves of his tunic.

The door hissed open and Master Skywalker was standing there with Master Kenobi. They stepped inside, the door hissing closed behind them.

"I know that there's something you're hiding," started Anakin without preamble. Behind him Obi-Wan shook his head.

"You really need to work on your people skills, my friend," said Obi-Wan, placing his hand on Anakin's shoulder. He looked at Kiran kindly.

"I'm sorry about Anakin's way of handling things. Sometimes he has no tact," he explained with a smile. "We've gotten into worse communications on his account, but that's not why we're here. Despite his lack of good people skills, Anakin is very adept at using the Force and sensing things. And, I trust him. He is a good friend, and he was a good apprentice. So I'm afraid we must ask you to tell us what you did not tell the Council."

Kiran grew quiet. "I already told the Council all that I know."

"When you ran into me in the hallway this morning, I felt something weird from you in the Force. And then you just ran away. Now sit there and tell me that isn't suspicious," said Anakin, folding his arms as he looked directly at Kiran.

"Look, what I said was the truth!" protested Kiran. "After the Sith Lord and his accomplice killed Master Lorus, I ran at the Sith—"

"What was he like?" asked Obi-Wan kindly.

Kiran shuddered. "He was terrifying. His eyes spoke death and his face was black with red stripes, and there were red horns all over his head, small ones—"

"A Zabrak?" asked Anakin to Obi-Wan, who nodded, signaling for Kiran to continue.

"The irises of his eyes were blood red, with a ring of orange around the pupil. I can't forget those eyes. They haunt me in my sleep . . ." said Kiran, sounding close to tears again.

Anakin rolled his eyes, but Obi-Wan kneeled next to Kiran's cot.

"Kiran, I know you've been through a nightmare. But please, please try and remember everything you can. Especially how you made it away from the Sith and into that starfighter, all right?" Obi-Wan gently chucked Kiran under the chin and patted his shoulder. "Try and get some rest, too." He stood up and started herding Anakin out the door.

From out in the hallway Anakin called, "We're just trying to help you!"

Kiran nodded numbly, staring at the floor, pulling his legs up and wrapping his arms around them. So, it was time to try and remember the nightmare? He could do it. He would. For the Jedi.


	14. The Fruits of Love

The loud traffic of Coruscant was blocked by the large sound-proof, laser-proof windows installed in Senator Amidala's apartment. The quiet _whirrs_ and _clicks_ from R2 and the gentle _humm _from the air ducts were the only noises present in Padme's room as she slept. Her light breathing was barely audible.

Anakin was at the Temple tonight, overseeing his former Padawan as she took the final Trials to become a Jedi Knight. He, as always, had been anxious to leave Padme alone as the days grew closer to her delivery.

"I don't want to be at the Temple, you know I don't," he said, although Padme had not protested. She never did. But he always felt like he had to explain it to her, to make up for it somehow.

As always she had smiled that kind, beautiful smile and kissed his lips gently. "Go. But come back as soon as you can. I'll be all right." Her soft brown eyes were a little sad, but she put on a brave face so that Anakin could perform his Jedi duties.

Now, quietness pervaded the apartment.

A painful twinge in her swollen abdomen caused Padme to awake suddenly from her light sleep, and she gasped, struggling to sit up. R2 wheeled over to the bed with a curious whistle.

"I think it's time R2!" said Padme, cringing as another contraction came. The little astrodroid's dome spun around as he rolled quickly across the room, whistling and beeping in alarm.

The door slid open with smooth hiss and Threepio came waddling in. "What is it now, R2? What are you going on about?"

A few angry beeps and Threepio suddenly became alarmed as well. "Oh my goodness! Why didn't you say so in the first place? We have to contact the Medic Center immediately!"

. . .

Anakin ran from the ending ceremony as Masters from the Council all converged on Ahsoka to congratulate her on becoming a Knight. She looked around as she thanked them for their kind words, and when she couldn't find her former Master, she spied Obi-Wan and grabbed his arm.

"Where is Master Skywalker? Is he angry? Did I not do as he expected?" she asked anxiously.

Obi-Wan shook his head, patting the hand she had placed on his arm. "No, no, Ahsoka. Something very urgent has happened. He had to go right away."

"What could be _that_ urgent?" she asked, one rust-colored brow raising.

"Oh, you'll know soon enough," said Obi-Wan, feeling a little hot under the collar.

. . .

Padme screamed, "Anakin! It hurts!" She gripped his arm as she bore down.

Anakin's face was white as he helped Padme stay sitting up. His arms held her steady as she pushed. He barked at the Med Droid who was at Padme's feet. "Isn't there anything you can give her to lessen the pain?" he demanded.

The white-plated droid shook its head. "I'm sorry," it said in a tone-less voice. "The babies are about to come, it would do no good."

"Babies?" repeated Anakin, dumbstruck. He looked confused.

"She is carrying fraternal twins, Sir," said the droid. "Here comes the first."

With a cry of pain from Padme and a great exertion, suddenly there was the cry of a newborn infant. The droid held up a naked, wet baby.

"A boy." Then it placed the newborn in the care of two other droids, who placed the baby in a plastic container and began to give him shots and clean him off. He cried in protest at the cold and the poking and prodding.

"One more, Padme! You can do it!" said Anakin, shaking as he encouraged the woman he loved.

She pushed again, her face in a painful grimace. "Aaaahh, it's too hard!" she cried out, failing to produce an infant with the first attempt.

"No! Don't give up!" said Anakin, holding her steady. "One more time! Bring this baby into the world!"

She gripped his arm tighter and bore down again, a scream escaping her clenched teeth. "Anakiiiiiiiiiiin!" she cried, and in a moment, there was another newborn cry adding noise to the first.

"A girl," said the droid emotionlessly, giving the second baby to the aiding droids so they could clean her off and give her shots.

Anakin held Padme close to his chest, kissing the top of her head, tears escaping down his cheeks. "You did it," he breathed into her brown hair. "You're so wonderful!"

"My babies," she said weakly. "Please, my babies . . ."

Anakin sprang away from the bed and picked up his twins carefully, one in each arm. They had each been swaddled in a white blanket, the little girl receiving a small pink bow on her head. He kissed each of them on the head as he carried them back to their mother. He handed them to her carefully, helping them settle in her arms.

Padme smiled down at them. "They're so tiny and beautiful!" She began to cry through her smile with happiness. "My babies. Luke and Leia."

Anakin sat by her, putting his arm around her and kissing the side of her head. "You did so great, Padme. Our children are perfect. You are perfect. This is the happiest day of my entire life!"

She smiled up at him. "I love you, Ani."

He closed his eyes, pulling his little family close. "I love you, too."

. . .

Anakin's eyes were drooping as the Council sat together. Obi-Wan prodded him with the Force, giving him a small nudge in the side. Anakin sat up, looking around with a dazed look.

"You. Meet me after," whispered Obi-Wan.

When the meeting adjourned, Obi-Wan took Anakin by the arm and steered him away from everyone else, down the marbled hallway among the giant pillars.

"It's been three days you've shown up like this, Anakin!" warned Obi-Wan. "I can't keep making excuses for you! Sooner or later, your little charade will be found out!"

Anakin nodded his head, stretching a little. "I know, Master. I'm sorry. The twins keep us busy. They cry a lot and need to be fed a lot and I stay awake while Padme sleeps with one of them and take care of the other one, and then I stay awake some more while Padme sleeps with the _other_ one while I take care of the first and it's just a _nightmare_ . . ." He rubbed his face with a gloved hand.

"Look," said Obi-Wan kindly, half a smile underneath his graying moustache. "I came up with a plan. It may not be very good, but it's better than nothing."

. . .

"We're going to Naboo?" asked Padme, looking from Obi-Wan to Anakin as they stood in her living area.

"It was Obi-Wan's idea, not mine," said Anakin when he saw her worried look. She smiled.

"Don't blame Master Kenobi, Ani!" she chided. "I think it's a good idea. At least, we can have some time to ourselves and no one will know where we are for a little while. By then, we can make another plan and leave Naboo for somewhere else."

Obi-Wan nodded, "And the plus side to this is that if I convince the Council to send Anakin away on a mission at the exact time you go home to Naboo, Senator, well, they won't suspect for a _very_ long time what is happening."

Padme looked hopefully at Anakin with her chocolate brown eyes. "It's the perfect plan, Ani. We can raise our children, away from the eyes of the Senate and the Jedi Council. You could train them, if they are Force-sensitive. We could go away for the rest of our lives, and no one would be the wiser."

"It does seem perfect," mused Anakin, rubbing his chin. He stepped down into the lowered area of the living room and walked over to the couch, sitting down next to his wife. "If I can have the rest of my life with you, then I willingly walk away from being a Jedi. I will be disgraced if they find me out."

Her eyes looked troubled. "Are you sure you're willing to do that?"

Anakin smiled. "For you, I would do anything, milady."

. . .


	15. A New Hope on Naboo

_I apologize for such a long wait, dear readers. Talk about a writer's block! Hopefully you all haven't given up and me and completely decided to never read this fanfic again, because I went back through the ENTIRE THING and fixed some inconsistencies, like the fact that Anakin kills Darth Sidious in chapter one, but then in other chapters it is referenced that Mace Windu had killed the Sith Lord. All of those inconsistencies have been fixed . . . I think. If I missed one, please let me know so I can fix it as well._

Everything was ready. The silver Naboo transport ship gleamed in the suns of Coruscant as it sat on the landing deck. Things were packed away and stowed on board the transport ship, the twins were sleeping in their mother's arms as she rested on board, and Anakin was preparing the last of the systems updates to the onboard computer in the piloting room.

As he stood over the motherboard, flipping switches and pressing buttons that instantly lit up, Obi-Wan came into the small pilot area, sitting in the passenger seat with a slight groan.

"Oh dear, I'm getting old. Do I feel a misplaced spring in the back of this chair?" he moved around uncomfortably before scooting to the edge of the chair and looking at Anakin, whose hands were moving quickly around the 'board.

Anakin didn't look up as he finished the programming, lights flashing across his face. "Perhaps, master. This ship is a slightly older model."

"Well that's for certain. This is not comfortable to sit in at all."

Anakin chuckled, finally looking at his former master. "Well, you don't have to sit there, you know."

Obi-Wan's moustache twitched as he smiled. "Of course I do. I'm your co-pilot, after all. I can't exactly be sitting in the back near the engine, can I?"

"You could . . ." said Anakin, grinning, and Obi-Wan just shook his head ruefully.

The onboard comm light came on and Padme's voice came through the comm system. "Ani, love, could you come help me put the twins down before we take off?"

Anakin pressed the button, a gentle smile on his face. "Of course, be there in a minute." He made his way out of the pilot room and down into the belly of the ship where Padme and the twins were staying in a large room typically used for storage.

The door hissed open and Anakin stepped in the room to see Padme patiently sitting on the cot that jutted out from the wall. He walked over to her and kissed the top of her head before leaning over to take his son out of Padme's arms.

"Hello, Luke," he said warmly, giving the baby boy a kiss on the tiny brown curl that grew from his head.

Padme walked over to where a bassinet hung out from the wall and laid Leia in it, kissing her baby girl's face before standing up and stretching.

"They don't weigh much, but they sure do feel like it after a while," she said with a gentle mother's smile on her face, gazing at Leia's peaceful face. Anakin smiled and kissed her cheek before laying Luke in his bassinet next to Leia's. Then he turned and gathered his wife into his arms, slowly swaying back and forth as he held her. She relaxed against him, breathing into his robes.

"I can't believe we're finally going to be free to live as a family," sighed Padme, giving Anakin a squeeze. He smiled into her hair, stroking it.

"Me too."

Obi-Wan's voice came over the comm system, "Anakin, I think we should get going. The Jedi Council will want a report within the week and I need to be able to take this ship to Geonosis."

Anakin leaned over and pressed the button on the wall, "All right, Master, all right." He kissed Padme softly on the lips and then smiled at her. "Well, this is it. Time to leave our lives behind on Coruscant. Are you ready to raise our children on Naboo?"

Padme laughed for joy. "Finally!" She hugged him close once more. "Finally."

. . .

Sunrider flipped backwards, landing in a crouch on the smooth marble of the training room, as Kiran Quin's blue blade barely missed her neck.

"Are you taking this seriously?" asked Kiran, lowering his blade. The sunlight streamed in through the windows, giving his dark-black hair a bluish hue. "That was a dangerous move! I could've taken your head!"

She gave him a sly smile. "Ah, but you didn't." She raised her green blade up again, teasing him. "Come on, I didn't even get singed."

Kiran sighed, brushing his hair from his eyes. "Well, all right."

Zandra ran at him, and at the last minute, instead of lunging at him with her blade, she spun around him. He turned fluidly, following her well, and their blades clashed together with the crackle of electromagnetic static.

They pushed against each other, the blades hissing and crackling in protest.

"You know, in real battle, we wouldn't be holding against our enemy like this. All it takes is a split-second for them to swing 'round and take off a limb," said Kiran as he looked at her through the brightness of the crossed blades.

"But you're not my enemy," laughed Zandra, dancing back.

"Sunrider!" came Master Secura's voice, as the blue Twi'lek stood in the doorway. She looked disapprovingly at Kiran before looking to her Padawan. "You're finished sparring with Young Quin for the day. Come."

The hiss of retracting lightsaber blades was doubled as both of the young Jedi's-to-be deactivated their powerful blades. Sunrider hooked hers to her belt, and with an apologetic backwards glance to Quin, ran towards her master.

In the hallway, Secura grabbed Sunrider by the arm and half-dragged her to their small room, punching in the security code so the door slid open smoothly. Once inside their alcove, door securely shut and locked, Aayla fixed her Padawan with a warning look.

"I do not want you sparring or training with that young man, Sunrider. Do you understand?"

Zandra's face twisted into disbelief. "Are you joking, Master? Why? What's wrong?"

Secura tried to keep her annoyance in check. "Are you questioning my judgment, Padawan? I said I don't want you interacting with him. There is a very inappropriate amount of playing going on between the two of you, and I will not stand for it. It is not the way of a Jedi."

"Playing? What—We don't play, Master. We fight, we train, we spar, but we don't _play_. I know that my interactions are only to be professional and I—"

"And yet you spend a lot of time with him!" accused Aayla, looking her Padawan square in the eye. "Do you think I don't keep my eye on you? I've seen you together, doing nothing more than idly sitting in the Library or in the Room of a Thousand Waterfalls talking together about things that aren't for Jedi to think or talk about?"

Zandra Sunrider blushed, ducking her head. "Our conversations have been purely intellectual, Master."

"Well, you are finished having them, do you understand me?" said Secura, placing her hand gently on Sunrider's shoulder.

Sunrider looked up at her Master sadly, but nodded. "I understand, Master. I'll do as you wish."

. . .

The hologram on the desk bowed low to the Sith Lord. "My Master, I have found a weakness in the Jedi Temple."

The Dark Zabrak let an evil smile creep over his black and red features as he stared at the static of the blue hologram. "Excellent. And what of Jedi Master Skywalker? Will he be easy to locate and destroy once we overcome the other members of the Council?"

The hologram grew silent, not daring to look up at the Dark Lord.

"He . . . is gone, my Master," said Darth Jadus nervously.

Darth Scion slammed his black and red hand on the desk, making the holoprojector jump, sending the hologram sputtering into static for a moment.

"You had better find him, my apprentice," hissed Darth Scion, glaring at the hologram. "Or I may have to lose my temper."

"I understand, my Master. I will find Jedi Skywalker and destroy him."

"You had better!" shouted the Zabrak Sith, pointing menacingly at the hologram. "Unless we destroy all the Jedi, our plan will fail!"

. . .

"We've docked, Padme. I'll come down in a minute to help you with the twins," said Anakin into the comm system. Obi-Wan grasped his arm, looking at his face intently.

"Please don't move your family until you hear word from me, Anakin," said Obi-Wan earnestly, his eyes searching Anakin's face. Anakin nodded and gave his old master a small smile.

"Of course, Master. We'll stay on Naboo. Besides," he chuckled, pressing a few buttons and flicking a couple switches before standing up to stretch, "I don't think Padme will ever want to leave this place. It's certainly one of the most beautiful places in the galaxy."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "That it is, my young friend. You're very lucky. I almost envy you, you know. I have to go to Geonosis, and that isn't a very pretty planet, to be sure."

Anakin gave his friend a wry smile. "Yes, but who volunteered to go there and see what information he could dig up, eh?"

"Yes yes," smiled Obi-Wan, winking at Anakin. "I know what you're getting at, and I do agree with you."

Anakin took Obi-Wan's hand and shook it, patting his old master on the shoulder. "I'll see you again, Obi-Wan. Thank you, for helping us."

Obi-Wan stood and hugged his once-Padawan. "You deserve happiness, my friend. I look upon you as my brother, and know I'll always be there for you if you need me."

Anakin gave Obi-Wan a slight squeeze. "Thank you."

"Now, uh," stammered Obi-Wan with a smile, letting Anakin go. "You'd better unload quickly and get your little family settled."

. . .

Padme looked around the large living room and smiled. Elegant paintings hung on the walls, and a very ornate rug sat comfortably in the middle of the room, covering the stone marble and giving it a warm look. Plush armchairs and couches were placed at intervals throughout the room. Anakin whistled as he walked through the doorway, cradling Luke in his left arm.

"Wow. This is quite a place, Padme."

She smiled at him, her eyes bright with joy. "Do you like it? They give retired politicians housing free the rest of their lives on Naboo. Makes it very convenient for us, doesn't it?"

He winked at her. "Well I don't don't like it."

She laughed. "That's good enough for me."

Leia stirred in Padme's arms and gave a tiny whimper. Padme smiled down at her daughter and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"I'm so glad that we're all together, all safe." She looked up at Anakin, who was using the Force to bring in their suitcases. "It's almost as if this is too good to be true."

Anakin let the things rest on the marble floor and smiled at her. "Don't say that. We're home free. We don't have anyone to answer to anymore, not the Senate, not the Jedi Council, not anyone."

Padme sat in an armchair with Leia, stroking her daughter's hair absentmindedly as she thought. Anakin walked up to her, brushing a strand of curly hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. The rest of it was pulled back in a loose pony tail. Anakin kissed her forehead.

"Why don't we set up the twins' room first and lie them down. Then we can stand out on the balcony and stare out at the lake, like the first time we kissed," Anakin said gently.

Padme looked up, into his blue eyes and smiled. "I would love that."

Anakin smiled like a little boy who had gotten a new set of power converters. "Then let's go!" he said eagerly, helping her up, and they walked together through the house to find which room they would use for Luke and Leia.

. . .


End file.
